Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla leads an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from April 5 to 9, 2025. The theme is “Parliamentary action for social development and justice,” focusing on poverty removal, decent work, social inclusion, and involvement of marginalized groups. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is a global body of national parliaments, founded in 1889, with 181 Members and 15 Associate Members. It works for peace, democracy, human rights, and sustainable development through parliamentary dialogue and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Notes:
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 26th edition of “Women and Men in India 2024: Selected Indicators and Data”. The report gives gender-based data on population, education, health, economic participation, and decision-making using official sources. Gender Parity Index (GPI) remains high in primary and higher secondary levels, while upper primary and elementary levels show near parity. Labour Participation Rate (LPFR) for ages 15+ improved from 49.8% in 2017–18 to 60.1% in 2023–24. Women own 39.2% of bank accounts and contribute 39.7% of deposits; rural women hold 42.2% of all accounts. DEMAT accounts grew from 33.26 million in 2021 to 143.02 million in 2024, showing rising stock market participation. Female DEMAT accounts increased from 6.67 million to 27.71 million, while male accounts rose from 26.59 million to 115.31 million. There is a steady rise in female-headed proprietary establishments in manufacturing, trade, and services. In 2024, female voter turnout surpassed male turnout, narrowing the gender gap in voting.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly built Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical railway sea bridge, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu on 6th April 2025. The 2.07-km bridge was built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) at a cost of ₹531 crore. It features a 72.5-meter vertical lift span that can rise 17 meters, allowing ships to pass safely and improving rail connectivity. The old 2.05-km Pamban Bridge, built in 1913, had a Scherzer rolling lift span and was the only transport link for over 70 years. It survived a 1964 cyclone, was restored quickly, and upgraded to broad gauge in 2007.

Notes:
China has launched the “Three Gorges Antarctic Eye,” a 3.2-metre aperture radio and millimetre-wave telescope at Zhongshan Station in Antarctica. It is designed to study interstellar gas like hydrogen and ammonia and to explore star formation in deep space. The telescope can operate in Antarctica’s extreme cold and strong winds, making it a major engineering success. It builds on China’s earlier Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) projects. The telescope was developed by China Three Gorges University and Shanghai Normal University to boost China’s space science research.

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India stopped deforestation in Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli forest after protests against land auctions for Information Technology (IT) development. Kancha Gachibowli is a rich urban forest near the University of Hyderabad, home to over 730 plant species and 220 bird species. The Telangana government planned to auction 400 acres of this land for IT infrastructure projects. Students, environmentalists, and civil society groups protested, demanding preservation of the forest’s biodiversity. The court’s stay aims to protect this ecologically important area while the matter is being legally reviewed.

Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu was honoured with the “Key of Honour” and made an honorary citizen of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on 7 April 2025. The award was presented by Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon, at the historic Câmara Municipal de Lisboa. This honour marks deepening ties between India and Portugal and acknowledges her role in promoting global friendship. President Murmu is on a two-nation official visit to Portugal and Slovakia from 7 to 10 April 2025.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) notified the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme to boost India’s global position in electronics manufacturing. The scheme is horizontal, covering consumer electronics, medical devices, automobiles, power electronics, and grids for wider economic impact. It supports passive components like resistors, capacitors, relays, sensors, and more; active components are covered by the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). The scheme offers three types of incentives: turnover-linked, capital expenditure (capex)-linked, and hybrid models.

Notes:
The Registrar General of India (RGI) has warned government and private hospitals for not reporting births and deaths on time, which is legally required. The Registrar General of India (RGI) is a permanent body under the Ministry of Home Affairs, created in 1949 by the Government of India. It is headed by the Registrar General and Ex-Officio Census Commissioner, usually a Joint Secretary-rank officer. The RGI manages the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, to ensure accurate civil registration. It also conducts the Census of India, providing data on population size, growth, and characteristics. Along with the Census, the RGI handles demographic and language surveys across the country.

Notes:
Former world champion Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil won gold in the men’s 10-metre air rifle event at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup 2025 in Buenos Aires. This is his second individual ISSF World Cup gold, the first being in Cairo in 2023. The ISSF World Cup is organized by the International Shooting Sport Federation.

Notes:
A study in Madagascar found that hantavirus is carried only by black rats, also called Rattus rattus, in rural areas. These rats came from Asia and were introduced to Madagascar between the 10th and 14th centuries, spreading widely since then. Researchers tested around 2,000 animals, but no native rodents, bats, or other small animals had the virus. Hantavirus is a rare but deadly virus spread by infected rodents. It transmits through contact with rodent urine, feces, or saliva, mainly through air particles or direct contact. Human-to-human spread is extremely rare, so environmental exposure is the key risk.