Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The Future Circular Collider (FCC) is a proposed $30 billion project by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). It involves a 91 km circular tunnel beneath the Swiss-French border to accelerate and collide particles at record energies. Phase 1 (~2040) aims to generate Higgs bosons in large numbers, while Phase 2 (~2070) will collide protons at extreme energies. Supporters, including CERN leadership, call it the most powerful tool for studying nature. Critics argue it may drain funds, limiting investment in other scientific advancements. The project has sparked major divisions in the scientific community.

Notes:
The Telangana government launched a scheme to distribute fine rice for free to the poor through ration shops. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy formally launched the scheme in Huzurnagar, Suryapet district, on Ugadi festival. 6 kilograms of fine rice per person per month will be given free of cost through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The scheme will benefit over three crore people, covering 85% of the state’s population. The government aims to ensure food security with dignity and prevent the misuse of coarse rice, which was earlier rejected by beneficiaries.

Notes:
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Tonga, triggering a tsunami warning. Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an archipelago of 169 islands, with 36 inhabited. It lies south of Samoa, east of Fiji, and north of the Tropic of Capricorn in the South Pacific Ocean. The western islands are volcanic, with four active volcanoes, while the eastern islands are coral and low-lying. Tongatapu, Ha’apai, and Vava’u are the largest islands, with Nuku‘alofa as the capital. Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Tonga frequently experiences volcanic activity.

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The Second World Health Organization (WHO) Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health was held in Cartagena, Colombia. It was co-organized by WHO, Colombia, and United Nations (UN) agencies, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The conference aimed to accelerate action for clean air, clean energy access, and climate change mitigation. Over 50 countries committed to reducing air pollution’s health impacts by 50% by 2040. India reaffirmed its commitment through actions under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

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Naini Lake in Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region has recorded a water level of 4.7 feet, the lowest in five years. The lake has reached its zero level more than 10 times since 2000, compared to only twice in the 1900s. It is a natural freshwater lake, tectonic in origin, and has a crescent shape due to repeated landslides. Naini Lake is the third-largest lake in Uttarakhand by surface area.

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The Army Commanders’ Conference is held in New Delhi from April 1-4, 2025. It is a platform for senior Indian Army officials to review security and discuss key operational priorities. The conference aims to make the Army more agile, adaptive, and technologically enabled while improving decision-making, welfare, and quality of life for soldiers and their families.

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The Indian Army’s Air Defence warriors from the White Tiger Division demonstrated their operational skills in a live missile-firing exercise using the 9K33 Osa-AK missile system. The 9K33 Osa-AK is a Russian-built, highly mobile, low-altitude, short-range tactical surface-to-air defence missile system. It was developed in the 1960s and fielded by the Soviet Union in 1972. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) designates it as “SA-8 Gecko.” The missile system has a length of 9.1 meters, a width of 2.78 meters, and weighs up to 18 tonnes. It integrates the transporter-erector-launcher and radar (TELAR) for independent detection, tracking, and engagement of aerial threats.

Notes:
Warangal Chapata chilli, also called Tomato chilli, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the GI Registry, Government of India, on March 28, 2025. It is named Tomato chilli because of its bright red color and round shape, resembling a tomato. This is the 18th product from Telangana to receive a GI tag. The chilli is less spicy but has a bright red color and strong flavor due to its capsicum oleoresin properties. It has been cultivated for over 100 years, with farmers expecting its price to nearly double from ₹300 per kg to ₹550.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand, are organizing a national event under “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat” on 4th April 2025 in New Delhi. It celebrates the 150th Birth Anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, honoring tribal heritage nationwide. More than 560 tribal representatives from Jharkhand will share views on grassroots governance, cultural legacy, and traditional knowledge. Cultural programs like Santhali dance and Munda storytelling will be featured. The initiative launched on 26th January 2025, aims to preserve tribal traditions across 20,300 villages, aligned with the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act).