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:
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:
Researchers in China successfully transplanted a gene-modified pig liver into a human with brain death to evaluate its function. Xenotransplantation involves transplanting cells, tissues, or organs from non-human animals into humans. Early attempts at xenotransplantation began in the 1980s with heart transplants. Genetic modifications are necessary to prevent immune rejection of animal organs in humans. Post-transplant monitoring is essential to assess organ function and immune responses.

Notes:
Ranchi is the first district in Jharkhand to launch a large-scale screening and management campaign for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD, now called Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), occurs due to fat buildup in the liver without heavy alcohol use. In contrast, Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease is caused by excessive alcohol consumption. Early-stage NAFLD is harmless but can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure if untreated. It increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) is its severe form, which may cause liver cancer.

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:
Concerns have been raised over land grants within the core area of Nagarahole National Park (Nagarahole Tiger Reserve), particularly in its ecologically sensitive swampy grasslands. Nagarahole National Park, also known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park, is a notified Tiger Reserve and part of Project Tiger. It is located in Kodagu and Mysuru districts, Karnataka. It was named after the Nagarahole River, it serves as a critical wildlife corridor.

Notes:
The Rajya Sabha passed the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025, to implement international agreements on aviation leasing. It aligns with the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town Convention, 2001) and its Protocol on Aircraft Equipment. India signed these agreements in 2008. The bill secures rights over aircraft, helicopters, and engines, ensuring legal clarity. It empowers the central government to make rules and designates the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as the registry authority for aircraft registration and de-registration, protecting creditors and aviation stakeholders under clear legal guidelines.

Notes:
A three-day India-Nepal Literature Festival was organized in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. It was conducted by Geeta Shodh Sansthan, affiliated with Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, and Krantidhara Sahitya Academy, Meerut. More than 180 litterateurs, writers, journalists, and educationists from India and Nepal participated. The festival aimed to promote and enhance the literary and cultural heritage of both countries. It encouraged the exchange of literature and culture. Cooperation between Indian and Nepali litterateurs was strengthened. Traditional and contemporary literature gained new direction and recognition.

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 Indian Council of Agricultural Research -Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI) developed an orange-fleshed sweet potato variety (SP-95/4) to improve tribal food security in Kerala and other states. It successfully passed final trials in Odisha, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Kerala. It contains 8 mg/100g of Beta-carotene, helping combat Vitamin A deficiency in tribal areas. The average tuber weighs 300 grams and has a fusiform shape, making it ideal for processing. The project, currently on 10-15 acres, aims to expand to 100 acres by 2025 with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding. Research trials confirmed its high yield potential in multiple states, including Odisha and Karnataka.