Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
India has recently offered the indigenous Akash Air Defence Missile System to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Akash is a Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM) system designed to protect important locations from enemy air attacks. It was fully developed in India by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), based in Hyderabad. The missile system was first inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2014 and later into the Indian Army in 2015. In 2022, Armenia became the first foreign nation to purchase the Akash missile system.

Notes:
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda launched the Inter-All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Referral Portal to improve patient referral systems across India. The portal was developed by AIIMS New Delhi using advanced technology like facial recognition and automated workflows. It aims to reduce waiting time, cut manual errors, and make healthcare more patient-friendly and transparent. The project will begin as a pilot between AIIMS New Delhi and AIIMS Bilaspur to test and refine the system. This initiative reflects the Ministry’s goal of providing inclusive, efficient, and tech-driven healthcare for all.

Notes:
The unemployment rate in rural areas has slightly decreased from 4.3 percent to 4.2 percent, showing a small improvement in job availability. As per the Annual Report of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) from January to December 2024, the labour force participation rate (LFPR) in urban areas has gone up from 50.3 percent to over 51 percent. The worker population ratio (WPR), which measures the percentage of working people in the population, has also improved. In urban areas, the overall WPR increased from 47 percent to 47.6 percent, indicating better employment engagement.

Notes:
Former Indian basketball captain Hari Dutt Kapri passed away at the age of 83 at his residence. He was born in 1942 in Chiiriyakhan village, Muwani area, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand. Kapri led the Indian basketball team from 1965 to 1978, helping it rise from 7th to 4th position in Asia in 1969. He was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 1969 for his outstanding contribution to Indian sports. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Uttarakhand government. His mortal remains were cremated at Rameshwar Ghat.

Notes:
India, along with 62 countries, supported the world’s first global carbon tax on the shipping sector, approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the global body that adopted the first global carbon tax on the shipping industry. A Carbon Tax is a type of environmental tax charged on the carbon content in fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It aims to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by making pollution more expensive and promoting clean energy alternatives. The tax is calculated based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other GHGs released. It encourages a market-based climate solution, making industries shift to greener practices.

Notes:
Forest fires recently broke out in Phawngpui National Park in Mizoram, damaging nearly one-ninth of its total area, according to state forest officials. Phawngpui National Park, also called the Blue Mountain National Park, is in the southeastern corner of Mizoram, close to the India-Myanmar border. It is the highest peak in Mizoram, with an altitude of 2,157 meters above sea level. The park covers 50 square kilometres, overlooks the Chhimtuipui River, and offers views of Myanmar’s hill ranges.

Notes:
The recent helicopter crash into the Hudson River might be linked to mast bumping, according to aviation experts. The Hudson River is located in New York State, United States, flowing through the state and forming a boundary with New Jersey in its final segment. It spans 315 miles, originating from lakes in the Adirondack Mountains near Mount Marcy, and drains an area of 34,628 sq. km. Mast bumping occurs when the rotor hub strikes the mast in helicopters with two-bladed, teetering rotor systems, such as Bell models, often during low-G maneuvers.

Notes:
The European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to launch the Biomass Mission on April 29, 2025, using a Vega C rocket from Korou Spaceport, French Guiana. The satellite will orbit Earth at 666 km in a sun-synchronous orbit, allowing consistent lighting for accurate observations. It will provide the first global measurements of forest biomass, helping scientists map forests and track their changes over time. Forests store 861 gigatonnes of carbon and absorb about 16 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) every year. In 2023, 3.7 million hectares of tropical forests were lost, causing about 6% of global CO₂ emissions.

Notes:
Telangana government launched the Bhu Bharati portal to make land record management simple, transparent, and accessible. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched it on 14th April 2025, marking Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s 135th birth anniversary. The portal replaces the Dharani portal, introduced by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government on 2nd November 2020 for agricultural land registration. Bhu Bharati was launched at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hyderabad. It began as a pilot in four mandals – Khammam, Mulugu, Kodangal, and Kamareddy. The portal is based on the Telangana Bhu Bharathi (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2025.

Notes:
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) launched the STELLAR Model, a new software tool for planning power generation, transmission, and storage with demand response. STELLAR stands for State-of-the-art, Totally indigenously developed Resource adequacy model. It helps Indian states and power distribution companies (discoms) create resource adequacy plans as per Ministry of Power’s June 2023 guidelines. The model ensures reliable electricity supply through smart planning of power resources. It supports integrated planning with demand response and meets changing yearly requirements. The tool is transparent, user-friendly, and made in India under CEA’s guidance. It is available free of cost to all states and discoms. It was developed with support from The Lantau Group (TLG) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).