Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Farmer leaders, environmentalists, religious heads, and advocates are protesting the proposed Bandura Nala water diversion project in the Mahadayi River basin. The Mahadayi River, also known as Mandovi or Mhadei, is a rain-fed river shared by Karnataka and Goa for their water needs. It originates from Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, flows briefly through Maharashtra, and then enters Goa, where it empties into the Arabian Sea at Panaji. Out of its 111-km total length, about 76 km lies in Goa. Important tributaries include Rogaro, Kushavati, Nanorem, Nanuz, Valvota, and Mapusa. The river also hosts the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on Chorao Island, and the towns of Panaji and Old Goa lie on its left bank.

Notes:
Scientists at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Thiruvananthapuram have developed a new real-time test for Tuberculosis (TB) called the real-time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (rt-LAMP) assay. The rt-LAMP assay is similar to GeneXpert and Truenat, with high sensitivity to detect even 10 TB DNA copies per microlitre. Unlike Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), which needs three temperature cycles, rt-LAMP works at a single temperature, making it simpler and faster. It uses six primers for stronger DNA detection, compared to two in RT-PCR. The use of Syto 16 fluorescent dye avoids false negatives. Results are available in just 10–20 minutes, helping in early TB diagnosis.

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:
Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also known as Monkey Fever, is rising in Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru districts of Karnataka. It is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic disease first reported in 1957 from Kyasanur Forest, Karnataka. It is caused by the Kyasanur Forest Disease Virus (KFDV), part of the Flavivirus genus and Flaviviridae family, linked to the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) complex. The virus spreads through hard ticks (Hemaphysalis spinigera) and affects humans, monkeys, and rodents, but not through human-to-human contact.

Notes:
Telangana has become the first state in India to implement the Scheduled Caste (SC) Categorisation of Reservations Act 2025. The implementation coincided with the birth anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a symbol of social justice. A Government Order (GO) was issued after receiving the Governor’s approval for the Bill passed last month. The state has divided 56 SC communities into three groups to ensure fair distribution of reservation benefits. This categorisation will influence future policies in education, jobs, and political representation. It is seen as a key step towards social justice for long-neglected SC sub-groups in Telangana.

Notes:
Daripalli Ramaiah (1937-2025), a famous environmentalist from Reddipalli village, Telangana, passed away recently. He was locally known as ‘Chetla Ramaiah’ or Vanajeevi (forest dweller). He was honored with the Padma Shri in 2017 for his significant contributions to environmental conservation. Ramaiah was a strong advocate for social forestry, having planted over 1 crore saplings in his lifetime. He was known as the “tree-man”, often wearing a green board to promote tree conservation. His awards include the Seva Award (1995), Vanamitra Award (2005), and National Innovations and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Award (2015).

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).

Notes:
Hockey Punjab, led by Hardik Singh, won the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship Trophy 2025 by defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the final. The final match of Division A was held on 15 April 2025 at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Hockey won the bronze medal by defeating Manipur Hockey 5-1. Hockey Punjab won their 5th title since the tournament began under Hockey India in 2011. The tournament was organised by Hockey India and held from 4 to 15 April 2025.

Notes:
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched Operation Chakra-V to tackle transnational organized cybercrime and digital arrest scams. This is a follow-up to Operation Chakra-IV, which targeted cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement effort using INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) channels. A digital arrest is a type of cybercrime where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials through audio or video calls. They scare victims by claiming they are involved in crimes and demand personal information or money as bail or bribe. This operation aims to stop such international cyber scams effectively.