Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released the report “Education and Nutrition: Learn to Eat Well” at the ‘Nutrition for Growth’ event in France on March 27-28, 2025. The report highlights poor nutritional quality in school meals and urges governments to improve food standards. In 2024, 47% of primary school students received school meals, but many lacked proper nutrition. In 2022, 27% of school meals were not designed with nutritionist input. Out of 187 countries, only 93 had school food policies, and 65% had cafeteria food standards. Childhood obesity has more than doubled since 1990, while food insecurity remains a challenge. UNESCO recommends fresh, locally sourced food over ultra-processed options.

Notes:
The Telangana government launched a scheme to distribute fine rice for free to the poor through ration shops. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy formally launched the scheme in Huzurnagar, Suryapet district, on Ugadi festival. 6 kilograms of fine rice per person per month will be given free of cost through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The scheme will benefit over three crore people, covering 85% of the state’s population. The government aims to ensure food security with dignity and prevent the misuse of coarse rice, which was earlier rejected by beneficiaries.

Notes:
In his Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of fitness and praised initiatives like the Fit India Carnival and International Yoga Day. The theme for Yoga Day 2025 is “Yoga for One Earth One Health,” aiming to promote global health through yoga. The Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY), under the Ministry of Ayush, is responsible for organizing activities for International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025. Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) launched a 100-day countdown to IDY2025 during the Yogamahotsav event at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on March 13, 2025.

Notes:
The Arctic region is a global flashpoint due to geopolitical tensions, climate change, and resource competition. The Arctic Council, formed in 1996 through the Ottawa Declaration, governs the Arctic. The Council has 8 member states: Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. These countries control land territories and have rights over resources within their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Six Indigenous groups are permanent participants representing Arctic inhabitants. Thirteen countries, including India, and various organizations are observers. All decisions require consensus from the eight Arctic States and consultation with permanent participants.

Notes:
Indian women’s hockey stalwart Vandana Katariya has announced her retirement from international hockey after a career spanning over 15 years. She played 320 international matches and scored 158 goals, making her the most-capped player in Indian women’s hockey history. Vandana made her senior team debut in 2009. She became the first and only Indian woman to score a hat-trick at the Olympics. She received the Arjuna Award in 2021 and the Padma Shri in 2022 for her contributions to Indian hockey. She received the Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

Notes:
The gates of Gangotri National Park in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, have been opened for tourists. The park is located along the upper catchment of the Bhagirathi River. Its northeastern section forms the international boundary between India and Tibet (China). It shares borders with Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Govind National Park. The park covers 2,390 sq km of mountainous terrain in the Garhwal Himalayas. Major peaks include Chaukhamba I, Satopanth, Chaukhamba II, Chaukhamba III, and Kedarnath Main. The park houses the Gangotri Glacier, one of the primary sources of the Ganges River.

Notes:
A rare snake species, Ahaetulla longirostris (long-snouted vine snake), was discovered in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh. It was found during a rhino shifting operation in the Palia division of the reserve. Previously, this snake was only recorded in Valmiki Tiger Reserve, West Champaran, Bihar. It has a long, slender body with green or brown coloration, helping it blend into trees. Its distinct long nose (rostral) is a key identification feature. It primarily lives on trees and hides among branches. It is mildly venomous, but its poison is not dangerous to humans.

Notes:
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released draft guidelines to integrate Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) courses. The Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to blend traditional Indian knowledge with modern education. The initiative promotes interdisciplinary research, preservation, and dissemination of IKS for research and societal use. It covers diverse fields like Arts, Literature, Agriculture, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Management, and Economics.

Notes:
Chandrayaan-3’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) became the first instrument to measure in situ temperatures near the Moon’s south pole. It successfully penetrated lunar soil and deployed a thermal probe, achieving what two previous missions—European Space Agency’s (ESA) Philae (2014) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) InSight Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) (2018)—could not. This experiment provided crucial data on lunar surface temperatures, strengthening evidence of water ice deposits. ChaSTE’s thermal probe was integrated into the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3, which landed on August 23, 2023.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) announced that all Anganwadi Centres in India are now registered on the POSHAN Tracker mobile application. POSHAN Tracker is a mobile-based tool that tracks real-time attendance, growth, and nutrition services at Anganwadi Centres and replaces manual records with auto-generated monthly reports. It supports 24 languages and improves transparency, efficiency, and accountability in delivering nutrition services. The app is part of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition), which merges Anganwadi services, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (14–18 years) to fight malnutrition.