Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The Green Credit Programme (GCP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) despite concerns from the Law Ministry over its legal validity. Green Credit (GC) is an incentive unit for engaging in environmentally positive activities and can be traded like carbon credits. The Green Credit Programme (GCP) operates under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It aims to increase forest cover, promote sustainable practices, and reward pro-environmental actions. Individuals, communities, and industries can earn Green Credits by participating in afforestation, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture. These credits can be sold to industries needing to meet environmental obligations like compensatory afforestation.

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:
A year-long “Cleanliness Drive” named Hnatlangpui was launched in Aizawl, Mizoram. It is a joint effort by the Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Department, Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC), and the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA). The initiative aims to keep Mizoram clean, with a focus on waste management in Aizawl through a “Comprehensive Plan for Municipal Waste Management.” A Monitoring Committee will oversee the campaign, chaired by the UD & PA Secretary. A ‘Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility’ will be set up for hospitals and healthcare centers. The campaign will run until March next year.

Notes:
Cheiraoba is considered to be one of the most important festivals of Manipur and it marks the beginning of the lunar new year for the people of Meitei community of Manipur and across the globe. The festival is also called as Sajibu Nongma Pānba which means “First day of Sajibu Month”.

Notes:
On April 1, 2025, ​Rajasthan’s first international-level Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cybernetics was inaugurated on April 1, 2025, at NIMS University in Jaipur. The institute is part of the agreement between the Government of Rajasthan and NIMS University under the ‘Rising Rajasthan’ initiative. Its main objective is to make Rajasthan a global hub for digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The institute features 15 advanced laboratories with over 500 high-performance computers. It has been recognized as the Indo-Pacific European Hub for Digital Partnership (INPACE), strengthening digital ties between India and Europe. The institute will focus on AI, robotics, and cybersecurity research in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and global organizations.

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:
Rajasthan has the highest number of railway stations with installed solar power plants, totaling 275 stations. This information was provided by Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in the Lok Sabha on 2nd April 2025. During the financial year 2024-25, India added 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, including 6 GW of solar energy. As of 31st March 2025, the total installed solar power capacity in the country has reached 21 GW. Indian Railways aims to achieve 100% electrification by 2025-26 and become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2030. Indian Railways aims to install 20 GW of solar power capacity on its vacant land by 2030.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) announced that all Anganwadi Centres in India are now registered on the POSHAN Tracker mobile application. POSHAN Tracker is a mobile-based tool that tracks real-time attendance, growth, and nutrition services at Anganwadi Centres and replaces manual records with auto-generated monthly reports. It supports 24 languages and improves transparency, efficiency, and accountability in delivering nutrition services. The app is part of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0 (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition), which merges Anganwadi services, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (14–18 years) to fight malnutrition.

Notes:
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, an Indian astronaut, will pilot the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS), marking a milestone for India in global space missions. Axiom Space, a private company in Houston, is organizing Ax-4 in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), European Space Agency (ESA), Poland, and Hungary. The mission crew includes Peggy Whitson (commander), Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. The team will stay for 14 days aboard the ISS and carry out around 60 scientific experiments, highlighting international cooperation in space exploration.

Notes:
A major archaeological discovery in Lefkada, Greece, revealed the first ancient Greek theater ever found in the Ionian Islands. The Ionian Islands are located off the western coast of Greece in the eastern Ionian Sea, covering 2,306.94 square kilometers. They are also known as “Heptanese,” meaning “Seven Islands,” which include Corfu (Kerkyra), Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaki, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, and Kythira. Kefalonia is the largest, with Mount Ainos as the highest point at 1,628 meters. Historically, they were ruled by Venice, later by Russian and Turkish forces, and finally ceded to Greece by Britain in 1864.