Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The Anti-Piracy Challenge is a key initiative under the Create in India Challenge, launched as part of WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) 2025. It is organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The first World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025. The challenge focuses on promoting technologies like digital fingerprinting and watermarking to tackle online piracy. WAVES 2025 is a global platform that showcases innovation in broadcasting, films, television, radio, animation, gaming, comics, and advertising.

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Russia warned Germany that if Ukraine uses Taurus missiles, it will be seen as direct involvement in the ongoing war. The Taurus KEPD-350 is a long-range cruise missile launched from aircraft. It is capable of hitting fortified and high-value targets with high precision. The missile was jointly developed by MBDA (Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia) and Saab Bofors Dynamics from Germany and Sweden. It is specially designed for deep strikes on bunkers, bridges, and command centres. This warning reflects growing tensions over Western military support to Ukraine in the conflict.

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A recent study shows that the Mahadev Koli tribe holds rich medicinal and ecological knowledge useful for global climate resilience. The Mahadev Koli tribe is primarily found in the state of Maharashtra. They are named after their god Mahadev and live mainly in the Mahadev hills of Maharashtra. They are mostly found in Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nasik districts and are classified as a Scheduled Tribe. They speak Marathi using the Devanagari script and have twenty-four exogamous clans, using clan names as surnames. They know over 50 native tree species used for traditional medicine. Tanaji Malusare, a heroic general in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army, belonged to this tribe and is known for his bravery in the Battle of Sinhagad.

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The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) plans to generate power from the 2000 megawatt Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (LSHP), raising concerns about its impact downstream in Assam. The LSHP is a run-of-the-river project built on the Subansiri River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, at the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. It features a 116-meter-high concrete gravity dam from the riverbed and 130 meters from the foundation, with a length of 284 meters. The reservoir has a total storage capacity of 1.37 cubic kilometers. The powerhouse has eight surface-mounted 250 megawatt Francis turbines on the river’s left bank.

Notes:
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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The Government has provided grants for Electric Vehicle (EV) startups under the Project Electric Vehicle Solutions led by Startups (EVolutionS). EVolutionS was launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Heavy Industry (MHI) and the Automotive Component Manufacturing Association of India (ACMA). The programme supports startups in pilot demonstrations, testing, validation of components, and building industry connections for quick market entry. It covers EV components for two-wheelers, three-wheelers like L5 vehicles, e-rickshaws, e-carts, four-wheelers, e-buses, and charging infrastructure. Startups with indigenous innovation will receive ₹50 lakh, including ₹30 lakh through equity-linked support.

Notes:
India has sent a second batch of batteries of the BrahMos missile system to the Philippines. BrahMos is a long-range supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia. It can be launched from land, sea, and air platforms. It has a two-stage propulsion system. The first stage is a solid propellant booster that provides the initial supersonic speed. The second stage is a liquid ramjet that takes the missile close to a speed of 3 Mach during the cruise phase. It has a range of up to 290 kilometers. It uses “Fire and Forget” technology, which does not require further guidance after launch. It has shorter flight times, which means quicker target engagement and low dispersion.

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Nepal celebrated its first-ever National Yak Day on April 20, 2025, to recognize the cultural, ecological, and economic importance of yaks in the Himalayan region. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) called for the yak to be included in the sustainable development agenda, especially in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. ICIMOD highlighted the vital role of indigenous communities like the Sherpa, Tamang, Thakali, Rai, and Limbu in preserving yak herding traditions. Yak herding supports food security, cultural identity, and biodiversity conservation in high-altitude areas. The event marked a step toward promoting mountain livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the first-ever space-based quantum sensor to measure gravity with high precision. Scientists are working on a Quantum Gravity Gradiometer (QGG) to be placed onboard a satellite in low Earth orbit. The QGG can detect the smallest gravitational changes by measuring differences in acceleration as tiny as 10⁻¹⁵ meters per second squared over a distance of 1 meter. In this system, atoms are cooled to near absolute zero, turning them into wave-like states inside a vacuum. Lasers manipulate these atoms, causing a phase shift that reveals the strength of gravitational forces. This technology helps estimate the mass of large structures like the Himalayas and track the movement of water, ice, and rocks from space. The recent development marks a big step in using quantum sensing for environmental monitoring and Earth sciences.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government launched the Resham Sakhi Yojana to economically empower rural women. The scheme allows women to earn income through sericulture by rearing silkworms at home. It is being implemented jointly by the State Rural Livelihood Mission and the Silk Department. Women will receive training in silkworm rearing to produce mulberry silk and tussar silk. Training for mulberry silk will be conducted in Mysore, Karnataka, and for tussar silk in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The scheme aims to benefit 50,000 women in 5 years. In the first phase, 7,500 women from 15 districts will be trained by 2025-26.