Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited successfully completed the trial run of Unit 2 (200 MW) of the Parbati-II Hydroelectric Project in Himachal Pradesh. The Parbati-II Hydroelectric Project is a run-of-the-river project in Sainj, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, harnessing the lower Parbati River, a tributary of the Beas River. A concrete gravity dam at Pulga village diverts water through a 31.52 km head race tunnel to a powerhouse in Suind village, Sainj Valley. The project has a total capacity of 800 MW (four units of 200 MW each). Once fully operational, it will generate 3,074 million units of electricity annually. National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Private Limited owns 100% of the project.

Notes:
SpaceX recently launched a private astronaut crew on a historic polar-orbiting mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. A Polar Orbit (PO) is a type of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) between 200 km and 1,000 km in altitude. Unlike equatorial orbits, satellites in a polar orbit travel from pole to pole. Polar orbits allow satellites to cover the entire Earth’s surface as the planet rotates. These orbits are crucial for Earth observation, climate monitoring, and reconnaissance. The Fram2 mission is the first human spaceflight to use this trajectory, marking a milestone in space exploration.

Notes:
Utkal Divas, celebrated on April 1st, marks the formation of Odisha as a separate state in 1936 during British rule. The day honors Odisha’s struggle for statehood and celebrates its cultural identity. Social and political organizations hold discussions and events to reflect on the state’s progress. Before 1936, Odisha was part of Bengal Presidency, Bihar, and the Central Provinces. Prominent leaders like Madhusudan Das, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Das, and Krushna Chandra Gajapati led the movement for statehood. Odisha became a separate province on April 1, 1936, with Sir John Austen Hubback as the first governor.

Notes:
A rare snake species, Ahaetulla longirostris (long-snouted vine snake), was discovered in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh. It was found during a rhino shifting operation in the Palia division of the reserve. Previously, this snake was only recorded in Valmiki Tiger Reserve, West Champaran, Bihar. It has a long, slender body with green or brown coloration, helping it blend into trees. Its distinct long nose (rostral) is a key identification feature. It primarily lives on trees and hides among branches. It is mildly venomous, but its poison is not dangerous to humans.

Notes:
New observations of the Great Red Spot on Jupiter show unexpected atmospheric activity above and around the storm. The Great Red Spot is an anticyclone, a high-pressure system that creates a long-lasting storm. It is located in Jupiter’s Southern Hemisphere. It appears as a massive red spot, though the cause of its red color remains unknown. The storm extends above Jupiter’s main cloud layers and is the largest known storm in the Solar System. The storm has existed for at least 150 years and may be even older. Its long duration is linked to Jupiter’s gaseous composition, which lacks a solid surface that would dissipate the storm’s energy. Unlike hurricanes on Earth that weaken upon landfall, Jupiter’s storm remains active due to its deep atmosphere.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka. Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited island located in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. It is 33 km northeast of Rameswaram (India) and 62 km southwest of Jaffna (Sri Lanka). The island serves as a maritime boundary marker between the two nations and is rich in fisheries, crucial for Tamil Nadu’s fishing economy.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
A new study has decoded how the venom of snake species, Pope’s Pit Viper (Trimeresurus popeiorum) works, helping understand its toxicity and aiding in better antivenom development. This research is key for pharmaceutical progress and supports India’s goal to reduce snakebite deaths by 50% by 2030. The snake is found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Malaysia, especially in northern and northeastern India. It lives in tropical and sub-tropical wet mountain forests, bamboo forests, scrublands, and swamps. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), its status is Least Concern.

Notes:
Assam government will withdraw Foreigner Tribunal cases filed against the indigenous Koch-Rajbongshi community. The Koch-Rajbongshi community is primarily found in the northeastern region of India, particularly in the states of Assam and West Bengal, with significant populations also residing in parts of Meghalaya. The Koch-Rajbongshi community is primarily found in the northeastern region of India, particularly in the states of Assam and West Bengal, with significant populations also residing in parts of Meghalaya.