Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
In the India Skills Report 2025, Uttar Pradesh ranked first in mathematical skills and computer proficiency. 80% of youth across India are skilled in maths and computers, with Uttar Pradesh ahead of Andhra Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh also topped in critical thinking, followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. In English proficiency, Maharashtra is first, Karnataka second, and Uttar Pradesh third. These results are based on the Global Employability Test (GATE), which assesses job-ready skills worldwide. In total employment, Maharashtra ranks first (84%), followed by Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh (70%).

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The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Ministry of Defence, held the second Defence Literature Festival ‘Kalam & Kavach 2.0’ in New Delhi. The event was themed ‘Securing India’s Rise through Defence Reforms’ and focused on India’s journey to becoming a self-reliant and tech-driven military power. The festival supported the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) goal through defence manufacturing and procurement reforms. It emphasized integration across land, air, sea, cyber, and space for national security. The event aligned with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’. It highlighted stronger public-private partnerships and faster tech transfers to boost readiness. Kalam & Kavach 2.0 showed how literature, innovation, and strategy can together shape India’s defence future.

Notes:
Google has launched its 7th-generation Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), named Ironwood, to improve the performance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. TPU is a specialised processor known as an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) developed by Google in 2015. It is designed especially for machine learning and AI tasks. TPUs are made to perform tensor operations, which are the main data structures used in Machine Learning (ML) models. TPUs are faster than Central Processing Units (CPUs) and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) in AI tasks. They can train complex neural networks in just a few hours.

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After two years of civil war, Sudan’s Tuti Island was reclaimed by the national army but is now devastated and depopulated. Tuti Island is located at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers in Khartoum, Sudan and was known for its lush greenery and agriculture. The island spans 8 square kilometers and was called “Khartoum’s garden” due to its farming and fishing activities. The Mahas community, who settled there in the 15th century, consider the island a symbol of indigenous identity. The war has displaced 13 million people and caused severe famine in Khartoum. Climate change has worsened the island’s vulnerability, disrupting the Nile’s flooding cycle. To preserve the Taya system and document community knowledge, the HEART (Heritage Empowered Action for Risk in Tuti) Project was initiated.

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Varanasi’s cultural and craft heritage received national recognition with Geographical Indication (GI) tags given to the Banarasi Shehnai and Banarasi Tabla. The Banarasi Shehnai is a traditional wind instrument linked to the Banaras Gharana of Indian classical music. It gained national fame through Ustad Bismillah Khan, who played it at the Red Fort on India’s first Independence Day. The shehnai is considered divine and is commonly used at weddings, religious events, and temple rituals. It reflects the spiritual and artistic traditions of Varanasi and adds to the city’s unique cultural identity.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched the e-SEHAT App to improve healthcare access in the Union Territory. The app was developed by the Jammu and Kashmir Health Department. e-SEHAT stands for Electronic Solutions for Enabling Health Access Through Technology. It aims to serve both patients and healthcare providers like doctors and paramedics. The app allows users to access healthcare services in public and private hospitals across Jammu and Kashmir. It provides details on doctor availability, appointment booking, diagnostic and surgical services, teleconsultation, and telemedicine.

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Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has selected 18 Hub institutions and 106 Spoke institutions under the PAIR (Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research) programme. The PAIR programme connects top research institutions with universities and colleges through structured mentorship and collaboration. It aims to boost India’s higher education and research by promoting innovation, capacity building, and regional excellence. A total of 30 proposals were received for Hub selection and 166 for Spokes. This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It aims to turn institutions into centres of innovation, leadership, and global relevance.

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South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has become the first coal Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) in India to adopt Paste Fill Technology in underground mining. Paste Fill Technology is a modern method used in underground mining to fill the empty spaces left after coal extraction. The paste used is made by mixing crushed overburden from opencast mines, fly ash, cement, water, and binding chemicals. This technique eliminates the need for acquiring additional surface land. It also helps prevent land subsidence, making mining operations more environmentally friendly and safe.

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The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister announced that funds under the Ladli Behna Yojana will now be transferred from Mandla district and disbursed regularly around the 15th of each month. Ladli Behna Yojana is a scheme launched by the Madhya Pradesh Government on 28th January 2023. The main aim of this scheme is to economically empower the women of Madhya Pradesh. So far, ₹1553 crore has been transferred directly to the bank accounts of 1.27 crore women beneficiaries. With the amount increased to ₹3000 per month, more women will benefit and improve their financial condition.

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NASA’s Lucy spacecraft was launched in 2021 to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. The mission is named after the famous fossilized human ancestor “Lucy” discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy is the first space mission to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, which are ancient remnants from the early solar system. These asteroids travel in two swarms that move ahead of and behind Jupiter in its orbit around the Sun. The total mission duration is planned for 12 years. It aims to help scientists understand the origin and evolution of our solar system.