Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Police’s “Investigation, Prosecution, and Conviction Portal” recently won the SKOCH Award in the “Police & Safety” category. This in-house development by the Technical Services Unit of UP Police has been recognized for its role in enhancing justice delivery and public trust, particularly in identifying and monitoring serious crimes and facilitating timely convictions. The portal has led to nearly 85,000 convictions and resolved over 40,000 pending cases.

Notes:
A degraded area called the Polo Ground inside Guindy National Park is being restored to support wildlife, especially blackbucks. Guindy National Park is a rare protected urban area located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is home to spotted deer and blackbucks, which rely on open grasslands to survive. Restoration work includes removing invasives, planting seven native grass species, and adding legume plants to improve soil health.

Notes:
The first No Objection Certificate (NOC) has been issued through the new Digital Portal for National Waterways to develop a jetty at Malim on River Mandovi. Mandovi River, also called Mahadayi or Mhadei, is known as the lifeline of Goa. It merges with the Zuari River and both flow into the Arabian Sea, forming the Mormugao harbour. The river starts from around 30 springs at Bhimgad in the Western Ghats, located in Belagavi district, Karnataka. Famous waterfalls on the river include Dudhsagar and Varapoha, and an important tributary is the River Mapusa.

Notes:
Juspay, a Bengaluru-based payments infrastructure company, became India’s first unicorn of 2025 after raising $60 million in a Series D funding round. The round was led by Kedaara Capital, with participation from SoftBank and Accel, pushing Juspay’s valuation over $1 billion. The company plans to improve its technology using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and expand into international markets like Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America, Europe, United Kingdom (UK), and North America. Despite losing major clients like Razorpay and PhonePe, Juspay remains focused on AI-driven productivity and global growth to sustain its momentum.

Notes:
A fire broke out at Daulatabad Fort in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra, prompting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to assess the damage and plan disaster management. It is located in Maharashtra. Specifically, it is situated near the city of Aurangabad, also known as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Daulatabad Fort was originally called Devgiri, meaning “Hill of Gods”, and was renamed by Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the 14th century when he shifted his capital there. It served as the capital for many dynasties like the Yadavas, Tughlaqs, Bahmanis, Nizam Shahis, Mughals, Marathas, and the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is a UNESCO-nominated heritage site known for its rich history, architecture, and ecology. The fort has three-layered defense walls called Ambarkot, Mahakot, and Kalakot, with moats, bastions, and iron-spiked gates.

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:
The Saras Mk2, India’s first multi-purpose civilian aircraft in the light transport aircraft category, is set for its test flight in December 2027. It is a 19-seater aircraft developed by National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Saras Mk2 is an upgraded version of the earlier Saras Mk1 model. It is designed for multiple uses, such as medical emergencies, disaster relief, and passenger transport. It will help improve air connectivity between Tier-1, Tier-2, and Tier-3 cities across India.

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:
India and Italy recently agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation in trade, defence, clean energy, and high technology. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) is a transport and trade infrastructure project connecting India, the Middle East, and Europe. It was launched through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by India, the European Union (EU), France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States (US) during the G20 Summit 2023 in New Delhi. IMEEC is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), introduced at the G7 Summit 2021 in the United Kingdom.

Notes:
Dharmadam constituency in Kannur, represented by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has become the state’s first extreme poverty-free constituency as of April 2025. This is part of Kerala’s larger mission to eradicate extreme poverty by 1 November 2025, promoting inclusive growth. Extreme poverty means a household lacks access to food, healthcare, basic income, and adequate housing—the four key indicators used in Kerala’s grassroots-level survey. As per the United Nations (UN), extreme poverty is defined as living on less than USD 1.90 a day, highlighting the urgency to ensure basic human needs are met.