Best Current Affairs Questions

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A thick layer of water hyacinth is covering the Mula river near Holkar Bridge, raising concerns about water quality. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is a free-floating aquatic plant from the pickerelweed family. It is native to South America but has spread to all continents except Antarctica. Known as one of the world’s most serious water weeds, it grows rapidly and disrupts ecosystems. It forms dense mats that reduce water quality, alter water flow, and increase sedimentation. It crowds out native species, destroys habitats, and blocks irrigation systems. It is used as a biofertilizer, for making handicrafts, and in phytoremediation to remove toxins from water.

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Uttar Pradesh became the first state in India to adopt an Agrivoltaic project. Agrivoltaic systems, also known as solar farming, allow farmers to generate electricity while growing crops. In this system, solar panels are installed on agricultural land using Photovoltaic (PV) technology.

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a bacteria-based technique to repair bricks for lunar habitats. Future lunar missions, like NASA’s Artemis programme, aim to establish permanent settlements on the Moon. Instead of transporting materials from Earth, astronauts will use lunar soil, or regolith, to build structures. IISc developed a method using the bacterium Sporosarcina pasteurii to create bricks from lunar and Martian soil simulants. The bacterium converts urea and calcium into calcium carbonate crystals, binding soil particles with guar gum. This method is eco-friendly and cost-effective compared to cement.

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Kazakhstan has found a major deposit of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) at the Kuirektykol site in the Karaganda Region, estimated to hold 1 million tons, which can support clean energy technologies globally. The Karaganda Region, in central Kazakhstan, is known for arid plains, hills, and seasonal streams, with major landscapes like Karkaraly National Park, Mount Aksoran, and Lake Balkhash. Important rivers in the region include the Ishim (Esil) and Nura, supported by the Irtysh–Karaganda Canal. Once known for coal mining and Gulag camps during Soviet times, it remains an industrial and mineral-rich hub. Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are 17 similar elements used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, lasers, and defence technologies.

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Pakistan has reportedly found a huge deposit of antimony in Balochistan, a region troubled by conflict. Antimony is a chemical element with the symbol Sb and atomic number 51, and it is a metalloid that is solid at room temperature. It has poor conductivity of heat and electricity and comes in forms like ingots, granules, or cast pieces. Its main ore is stibnite, and it is also found as a byproduct in lead-zinc-silver mines. China is the world’s largest producer of the chemical element antimony. China produces 88% of the world’s antimony, followed by Bolivia, Russia, and Tajikistan. It is used in electronics, batteries, bullets, flame-retardants, and glassware.

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The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by the Prime Minister, approved a ₹63,000-crore deal to buy 26 Rafale-M fighter jets from France for the Indian Navy. Earlier, India planned to buy 126 jets under the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender in 2007, but it was cancelled in 2015. A 2016 deal brought 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), delivered from 2019 to 2022. The new deal includes 22 Rafale-M single-seater jets for aircraft carriers and 4 twin-seater trainers for practice. These jets will fly from INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. Rafale is a 4.5 generation, twin-engine, delta-wing, multirole fighter made by Dassault Aviation. It can fly at Mach 1.8 and has a combat range of over 1000 kilometers, useful for various missions like air combat, ground attacks, and naval strikes.

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Rongali Bihu, also called Bohag Bihu, is celebrated in Assam from April 14 to April 20, 2025, marking the Assamese New Year. It signals the start of the agricultural season and holds great cultural importance in the state. The word “Rongali” comes from “Rong,” meaning joy, showing the happy and colourful nature of the festival. Rongali Bihu welcomes spring and marks the beginning of sowing activities for farmers. It is a time of gratitude and hope when farmers pray for a good harvest and celebrate nature’s blessings with dance, music, and traditional feasts.

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NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Unlocking $25+ Billion Export Potential – India’s Hand & Power Tools Sector’. It highlights how the Hand and Power Tools sector can boost India’s economic growth. The global market for these tools is valued at $100 billion and may grow to $190 billion by 2035. India exports only $600 million in hand tools and $470 million in power tools, with very low market shares. The report suggests India can target $25 billion in exports and generate 35 lakh jobs by gaining 10% in power tools and 25% in hand tools. India can achieve this by encouraging innovation, supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and improving industrial infrastructure. The tools sector is a pillar of global manufacturing and can support India’s goal of becoming Viksit Bharat @ 2047. Growth in construction and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets can boost Make in India and expand India’s global footprint by $25 billion.

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NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a joint satellite mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is set to be launched in June 2025 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II). This is the first radar-based Earth observation mission jointly developed by India and the United States. NISAR will map the entire Earth’s surface every 12 days to provide frequent and accurate data. It will track ecosystem changes, ice movements, vegetation shifts, sea level rise, groundwater levels, and natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and landslides.

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China is set to unveil the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world’s highest bridge. The suspension bridge is under construction in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, located 800 miles west of Shenzhen. Guizhou is known for impressive structures, with nearly half of the top 100 tallest bridges in the world situated there. The bridge will stand 625 meters (2,051 feet) above Beipan River, 200 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. It will surpass the Millau Viaduct in France, which held the record at 343 meters (1,125 feet). The bridge is 2,890 meters (9,482 feet) long and weighs 22,000 tons.