Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan inaugurated Techkriti 2025, Asia’s largest intercollegiate technical and entrepreneurial festival, at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. The event focused on modernization of the Indian Armed Forces and future challenges in Cyber, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum, and Cognitive domains. The theme “Panta Rhei” (Everything Flows) highlighted the continuous evolution of technology and innovation. A special Defence Expo ‘Rakshakriti’ showcased cutting-edge defence technology, fostering collaboration between armed forces, academia, and industry. The event promoted autonomous drones, advanced security tech, and reduced import dependence, inspiring students towards defence and technology careers.

Notes:
Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 62nd National Maritime Day and Merchant Navy Week at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. National Maritime Day is celebrated in India every year on April 5. It marks the maiden voyage of SS Loyalty, the first Indian-owned ship, from Mumbai to London on April 5, 1919. Various ports and maritime organizations under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) honored the bravery and dedication of seafarers. The event highlighted India’s maritime excellence and contribution to global shipping.

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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.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav launched the four-day School Chale Hum campaign in Bhopal on April 1, 2025. All CM RISE Schools in the state will be renamed Maharishi Sandipani Vidyalaya. The Education Portal 3.0 was launched to digitize school education processes. The campaign runs from April 1-4, 2025, aiming to improve enrollment, retention, and timely textbook distribution. 5.6 crore textbooks (Classes 1-12), 1.02 crore Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) workbooks, and 26 lakh Bridge Course books will be provided for free.

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The Indian Navy’s frigate INS Tarkash intercepted and seized over 2500 kg of narcotics in the Western Indian Ocean during a maritime security operation. INS Tarkash is a modern stealth frigate of the Indian Navy. It belongs to the Talwar class of guided missile frigates, which are modified Krivak III-class frigates built by Russia. It was constructed at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, Russia. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 9, 2012, in Kaliningrad, Russia. INS Tarkash is part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet.

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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.

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The Prime Minister of Thailand gifted a copy of the Tipitaka in Pali language to the Indian Prime Minister during his ongoing visit. Tipitaka, meaning “three baskets,” is a collection of Buddhist scriptures written in the Pali language and is the core of Theravada Buddhism. The Vinaya Pitaka contains rules and guidelines for monks and nuns in the monastic community, called the sangha. The Sutta Pitaka includes the sermons and teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Abhidhamma Pitaka explains deep philosophical ideas about the nature of reality. Theravada Buddhism is the oldest surviving Buddhist tradition followed by those called theravadins, meaning followers of the old teachers or theras.

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Indonesia’s Mount Marapi, an active volcano in western Sumatra, recently erupted, sending ash 1.5 km (4,900 ft) into the sky. It is a stratovolcano, made of hardened lava, ash, and rocks from earlier eruptions. Marapi lies within the Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone around the Pacific Ocean. Standing at 2,891 meters (9,485 feet), it is the tallest volcano in the Padang Highlands. Its summit has the Bancah Caldera, with overlapping craters. A deadly lahar in 1979 killed 60 people. It is often confused with Mount Merapi, a different volcano in Java.

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The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is celebrating its 25th foundation day, marking a major milestone in India’s polar research journey. Established in 1998 as an autonomous Research and Development (R&D) institution under the Government of India, it is based in Goa. NCPOR leads India’s polar and Southern Ocean research, managing missions in some of the world’s most extreme environments. It operates India’s Antarctic stations “Maitri” and “Bharati”, and the Arctic station “Himadri”. It functions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

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Tamil Nadu recorded the highest real economic growth rate in India for 2024–25 at 9.69%, the best in the State’s last 10 years. Real growth excludes inflation and is measured at constant prices (base year 2011–12), with Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) rising from ₹15.71 lakh crore in 2023–24 to ₹17.23 lakh crore in 2024–25. The nominal growth rate, which includes inflation, is 14.02%, also the highest among States. The State’s growth aligns with projections by the Tamil Nadu Economic Survey and Madras School of Economics (MSE), exceeding both estimates. Growth was led by the tertiary (services) sector at 12.7% and secondary (industry) at 9%, while the primary sector (agriculture) was low at 0.15%. Real estate grew by 13.6%, communication services by 13%, and trade-hotel services by 11.7%, all under the tertiary sector. In the secondary sector, manufacturing grew by 8% and construction by 10.6%. The primary sector underperformed with crops at -5.93% and livestock at 3.84%.