Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
India recorded 4,515 child adoptions in the financial year 2024-25, the highest ever. The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) added 8,598 newly identified children to the adoption pool. CARA was established in 1990 and functions as a statutory body under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. It operates under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. CARA is the nodal agency for adoption of Indian children and regulates both in-country and inter-country adoptions. It manages adoptions through the Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS).

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:
The recent Myanmar earthquake occurred due to strike-slip faulting along the Sagaing Fault, which separates the Indian Plate from the Eurasian Plate. The Sagaing Fault is a major active tectonic boundary running north to south through Myanmar, separating the Indian and Eurasian Plates. It is one of the longest and most active strike-slip faults globally, extending 1,500 km from the Andaman Sea in the south to the Eastern Himalayas in the north. The Indian Plate is moving northward, causing stress buildup along the fault, leading to large earthquakes over time.

Notes:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI) developed an orange-fleshed sweet potato variety (SP-95/4) to improve tribal food security in Kerala and other states. It successfully passed final trials in Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Kerala. It contains 8 mg/100g of Beta-carotene, helping combat Vitamin A deficiency in tribal areas. The average tuber weighs 300 grams and has a fusiform shape, making it ideal for processing. The project, currently on 10-15 acres, aims to expand to 100 acres by 2025 with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding. Research trials confirmed its high yield potential in multiple states, including Odisha and Karnataka.

Notes:
A new study has decoded how the venom of snake species, Pope’s Pit Viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum) works, helping understand its toxicity and aiding in better antivenom development. This research is key for pharmaceutical progress and supports India’s goal to reduce snakebite deaths by 50% by 2030. The snake is found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia, especially in northern and northeastern India. It lives in tropical and sub-tropical wet mountain forests, bamboo forests, scrublands, and swamps. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its status is Least Concern.

Notes:
Nikhil Singhal, Founder of Vigor Media Worldwide and President of the Noida High Rise Federation, received the Uttar Pradesh Anmol Ratan Award for his outstanding work in public relations and strategic communication. The award was presented by Shri Akhilesh Yadav, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, during a grand ceremony on March 31, 2025, at the Taj Lucknow, organized by the Tapasya Foundation Trust. The event gathered leading figures from media, corporate communications, and governance, recognizing Singhal’s role in transforming the public relations (PR) industry with innovative and impactful strategies.

Notes:
The seventh edition of Khelo India Youth Games will be held in five cities of Bihar from May 4 to 15, 2025. Bihar will also host the Khelo India Para Games in the same month. Khelo India initiative was launched in 2018 to boost sports culture and identify young talent for the Olympics. It includes youth, university, and winter games to promote talent development. It focuses on building and upgrading sports infrastructure across India. Khelo India Centres and Academies offer expert coaching in various sports. It promotes fitness, inclusiveness, gender equality, disability sports, and indigenous games.

Notes:
Bangladesh has taken over as the new Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) for the next two years. The Chairmanship was handed over by the Prime Minister of Thailand to Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Muhammad Yunus highlighted the need for an inclusive and action-oriented BIMSTEC. He assured Bangladesh’s strong commitment to boost regional cooperation and development. BIMSTEC is a regional group of seven countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – located around the Bay of Bengal.

Notes:
The Ream Naval Base is on Cambodia’s Gulf of Thailand coast near Sihanoukville and recently gained global attention due to its expansion and China’s involvement. On April 5, 2025, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet inaugurated the expanded base, supported financially and technically by China. Cambodia claims the expansion supports its national defense, but concerns remain over possible Chinese military use. The base is close to the Malacca Strait, a key route for global trade and energy transport. China’s role suggests it aims to boost its influence in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen its naval presence near the South China Sea.

Notes:
A rare long-snouted vine snake called Ahaetulla longirostris was recently rediscovered during a rhino release at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first sighting in Uttar Pradesh and only the second in India, with the first being in Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar. The snake’s usual habitat is in Southeast Asia, and it was also spotted earlier in parts of Odisha. It belongs to the Colubridae family, mostly made up of non-venomous snakes, and has a long green or brown slender body for camouflage. Dudhwa Tiger Reserve lies on the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, and includes Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, and nearby forest areas.