Daily Current Affairs Quiz: May 18-19, 2025

Notes:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently inaugurated the upgraded Multi Agency Centre, also known as MAC. MAC is a national intelligence-sharing hub under the Intelligence Bureau (IB) where central and state agencies share information on terrorism. It was first set up in 2001 after the Kargil conflict and was strengthened after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. It now connects all police districts nationwide through a secure network built at a cost of ₹500 crore. The system includes Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools for better analysis. It helps map hotspots, predict threats, and coordinate real-time action against terrorism, crime, and cyberattacks.

Notes:
The National Commission for Women (NCW) recently launched the ‘Campus Calling’ programme to promote gender sensitivity and student safety. It aims to prevent sexual harassment and raise awareness about cybercrimes affecting students in colleges and universities. The programme is being implemented in collaboration with ‘Yuvamanthan’, a youth development platform. It plans to reach over 1,000 higher education institutions, making it one of NCW’s largest youth-focused initiatives. Each college will have two male and two female campus ambassadors to lead gender awareness efforts. These ambassadors will promote safety, equality, and respect, and drive youth participation in creating secure campuses.

Notes:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), along with the World Monuments Fund India (WMFI) and the TCS Foundation, has recently completed the conservation of Rajon ki Baoli. Rajon ki Baoli, also called Rajon ki Bain, is a 16th-century stepwell located in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, South Delhi. It was built in 1506 CE by Daulat Khan during the rule of Sikander Lodi of the Lodi dynasty, the last dynasty before the Mughals. The stepwell showcases Lodi-era architecture and traditional water conservation techniques. It served as a water source and summer retreat, mainly used by masons for drinking and cooking.

Notes:
World Hypertension Day is observed every year on May 17 to raise awareness about hypertension and its control. The theme of 2025 is “Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer!”. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is called a silent killer because it often shows no symptoms. It affects over 294 million people in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol use, too much salt, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and mental stress. Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Notes:
A recent large-scale study from South Korea, published in the European Heart Journal, found that people vaccinated against shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus stays dormant in nerve cells and can reactivate later in life when the immune system weakens. Shingles appears as a painful rash with blisters, usually on one side of the body, and can cause symptoms like burning, headache, and fever. The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a nerve pain that can last for months. Shingles is not directly contagious but the virus can infect someone who never had chickenpox. It mainly affects people over 50 or those with weak immune systems.