Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister launched the P4 Bangaru Kutumbam-Margadarsi initiative in Velagapudi on Ugadi. P4 stands for Public-Private-People Partnership, a mission-mode initiative for social and economic transformation. It aims to eradicate poverty and uplift marginalised families by creating model families called “Bangaru Kutumbam.” The initiative targets over 2 million beneficiaries in the initial phase. It provides free gas cylinders, educational support, and women empowerment schemes. The initiative promotes inclusive development, governance innovation, and a replicable welfare model for other states.

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 Fiscal Health Index (FHI) by NITI Aayog assesses the fiscal health of Indian states. It covers 18 major states that contribute significantly to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), public expenditure, revenue, and fiscal stability. Odisha ranks first in the index, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, and Gujarat. As states handle two-thirds of public spending and one-third of total revenue, their fiscal health is crucial for national economic stability. The index uses data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the financial year 2022-23 to compare and benchmark fiscal performance. It helps policymakers make informed decisions to improve fiscal sustainability and resilience. The index evaluates tax buoyancy, which measures how responsive a state’s tax revenue is to its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth. It assesses revenue generation, including own tax and non-tax receipts.

Notes:
Rajasthan has the highest number of railway stations with installed solar power plants, totaling 275 stations. This information was provided by Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in the Lok Sabha on 2nd April 2025. During the financial year 2024-25, India added 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, including 6 GW of solar energy. As of 31st March 2025, the total installed solar power capacity in the country has reached 21 GW. Indian Railways aims to achieve 100% electrification by 2025-26 and become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. Indian Railways aims to install 20 GW of solar power capacity on its vacant land by 2030.

Notes:
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology of the United Kingdom and the Artificial Intelligence Security Institute (AI Security Institute) released the first-ever International Artificial Intelligence Safety Report 2025. The report warns about the growing threat of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being created, stored, and shared using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. CSAM includes audio, video, and images showing sexually explicit content involving children. The United Kingdom is taking the first legal steps to tackle AI-generated CSAM. The World Economic Forum and Internet Watch Foundation also flagged rising risks of AI-fueled CSAM online. The Government of India is urged to update its laws to fight these new dangers effectively.

Notes:
Environmentalists have raised concerns with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) about hazardous effluents from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) being discharged into the Dhansiri River, posing a threat to the local ecosystem. The Dhansiri River is the main river of Golaghat district in Assam and Dimapur district in Nagaland and is a key tributary of the Brahmaputra River. It originates from Laisang Peak in Nagaland and flows about 352 km through varying directions before merging with the Brahmaputra at Dhansirimukh in Assam. The river’s catchment area is around 1,220 square kilometers. It flows along the Nagaland-Assam border, passing through ecologically rich zones like Dhansiri Reserved Forest and Intanki National Park.

Notes:
An international team of astronomers has used the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to discover a new warm Jupiter-type exoplanet over 1,000 light years away. TESS is a NASA mission launched in March 2018 to detect exoplanets orbiting bright dwarf stars by observing small dips in star brightness caused by planet transits. It followed the Kepler space telescope and used the transit method to study planet size and orbit. In its two-year prime mission, which ended in July 2020, TESS imaged 75% of the sky and discovered 66 new exoplanets. TESS continues its work under an extended mission.

Notes:
India urged BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—to support the Baku to Belém Roadmap. It was adopted at Conference of the Parties 29 (COP29) in 2024. The roadmap aims to mobilize USD 1.3 trillion to help developing nations meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. It focuses on defining a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance post-2025 and ensuring finance is predictable, adequate, and accessible. As BRICS countries now represent 47% of the world’s population and 36% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), their united climate efforts are crucial for a fair global transition.

Notes:
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of “Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data”. The report gives gender-based data on population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making using official sources. Gender Parity Index (GPI) remains high in primary and higher secondary levels, while upper primary and elementary levels show near parity. Labour Participation Rate (LPFR) for ages 15+ improved from 49.8% in 2017–18 to 60.1% in 2023–24. Women own 39.2% of bank accounts and contribute 39.7% of deposits; rural women hold 42.2% of all accounts. DEMAT accounts grew from 33.26 million in 2021 to 143.02 million in 2024, showing rising stock market participation. Female DEMAT accounts increased from 6.67 million to 27.71 million, while male accounts rose from 26.59 million to 115.31 million. There is a steady rise in female-headed proprietary establishments in manufacturing, trade, and services. In 2024, female voter turnout surpassed male turnout, narrowing the gender gap in voting.

Notes:
The five-day Madhavpur Ghed fair organized in Madhavpur, Porbandar district, Gujarat, celebrating the divine union of Dwarikadhish Shri Krishna and Rukshmani ji. It promotes cultural unity between Western and Northeastern India under the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (One India, Great India) launched by the Prime Minister. More than 1600 artists from Northeast states and Gujarat presents cultural performances.