Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The fourth edition of Exercise Tiger Triumph, a bilateral India-US Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, takes place from April 1 to 13, 2025, on the Eastern Seaboard. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and create Standard Operating Procedures for a Combined Coordination Center between Indian and US Joint Task Forces. Indian participants include naval ships, Army troops, Air Force aircraft, and a Rapid Action Medical Team. US participants include Navy ships and US Marine Division troops. The exercise includes a Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam and a Sea Phase near Kakinada.

Notes:
Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) CARTOSAT-3 satellite captured high-resolution images of earthquake damage in Myanmar. A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025. Post-disaster images from March 29 were compared with pre-event data from March 18 to assess damage in Mandalay and Sagaing. CARTOSAT-3 is a third-generation agile advanced Earth observation satellite developed by ISRO. It replaces the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) series and has high-resolution imaging capabilities. It was launched aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C47).

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh won the 47th National Junior Girls’ Handball Championship by defeating Himachal Pradesh 19-17 at KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium. UP made a strong comeback after trailing 10-8 at halftime, showing greater intensity and agility in the second half. Himachal Pradesh missed crucial opportunities, while UP goalkeeper Niharika played a key role by stopping multiple attacks. The 47th National Junior Girls’ Handball Championship took place in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from March 26 to 30, 2025.

Notes:
A rare Binturong was captured on a camera trap by the Wildlife Trust of India’s Garo Green Spine project team in Narang Wari Village Reserve Forest, Meghalaya. The forest is in the buffer zone of Balpakram National Park. The Binturong, also known as the bearcat, is the largest civet in India. It is an omnivorous mammal found in dense forests of Southeast Asia. Its range extends from Nepal, India, and Bhutan to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Balpakram National Park, located in Meghalaya, is known for its rich biodiversity and scenic landscapes. It is situated in the West Garo Hills district, about 134 km from Shillong. The park is called the “Land of Perpetual Winds” due to strong winds across the plateau.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir launched the Zero-Ticket Travel Initiative at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). This initiative allows women to travel free of cost on Smart City electric buses and Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) buses across the Union Territory. It also includes free travel for schoolgirls, ensuring safer and easier commutes for young students. The move is part of a larger set of pro-women and pro-poor policies focused on improving social and economic empowerment. The initiative promotes gender-inclusive mobility and supports access to education and opportunities.

Notes:
A United States (U.S.) national was arrested in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for allegedly entering the prohibited tribal reserve area of North Sentinel Island. North Sentinel Island is part of the Andaman Islands, an Indian Union Territory in the Bay of Bengal. It is located west of the central Andaman Islands and covers about 60 square kilometers. The island is densely forested, surrounded by a shallow reef, and home to the Sentinelese tribe. The Sentinelese are believed to be direct descendants of the first humans who migrated from Africa around 60,000 years ago. They have lived in isolation for thousands of years, resisting contact with the outside world. The island is protected under the Andaman and Nicobar Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Act, 1956, prohibiting anyone from approaching within 5 nautical miles.

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:
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%.