Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed lotus leaf-like solar evaporators called Dual-Sided Laser-Induced Graphene (DSLIG) for saltwater treatment. The material is made using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyether sulfone (PES), with graphene engraved using laser. DSLIG is superhydrophobic, meaning it repels water like lotus leaves, helping prevent salt from sticking on its surface. It uses both solar heating and electricity-based Joule heating, making it work even on cloudy days. It improves desalination by reducing heat loss and maintaining efficiency. It also works well with highly salty water and has low carbon footprint and toxicity.

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Telangana launched T-SHIELD (Telangana – Security Hub for Innovation in Enforcement and Lawful Digital Defense), the state’s first cybersecurity hardware lab. The lab is located at the Police Training College (PTC), Medchal. It was developed by Skillvedha Innovations Private Limited to provide real-time cyber defense training, hardware forensics, and digital crime simulations. T-SHIELD is one of the few labs in India focusing on hardware-level cybersecurity for law enforcement. The lab will offer Faculty Development Programs (FDPs), workshops, hackathons, and advanced training. It aims to promote innovation and readiness in tackling cybercrime through proactive, tech-driven policing.

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Mission Amrit Sarovar is helping rural people earn more by supporting activities like irrigation, fisheries, duck farming, water chestnut growing, and animal husbandry around water bodies. It was launched in 2022 under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to promote water conservation and rural development. The mission plans to build or restore 75 water bodies in every district across India. It aims to fight groundwater depletion and water shortage by using both old and new methods. It works through a mix of government schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, and state programs. Public donations through crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also encouraged.

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China is set to unveil the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world’s highest bridge. The suspension bridge is under construction in Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, located 800 miles west of Shenzhen. Guizhou is known for impressive structures, with nearly half of the top 100 tallest bridges in the world situated there. The bridge will stand 625 meters (2,051 feet) above Beipan River, 200 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. It will surpass the Millau Viaduct in France, which held the record at 343 meters (1,125 feet). The bridge is 2,890 meters (9,482 feet) long and weighs 22,000 tons.

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Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who chairs the Intergovernmental Negotiations on UNSC reforms, recently stated that India will be a strong contender if the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is expanded. Kuwait and Austria currently co-chair the Intergovernmental Negotiations on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform. The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, tasked with maintaining international peace and security. All UN member states must comply with UNSC decisions under the UN Charter. The UNSC determines threats to peace, recommends settlement methods, imposes sanctions, and authorizes military actions. It consists of 15 members: 5 permanent members with veto power and 10 elected non-permanent members. The UNSC is headquartered in New York City.

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Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sunayna, deployed as part of Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR), arrived at Nacala Port in Mozambique. INS Sunayna is the second Saryu-class offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Navy. It was designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited. The ship was commissioned on 15th October 2013 at Kochi and is based under the Southern Naval Command. It is meant for fleet support, coastal and offshore patrol, ocean surveillance, sea line monitoring, and escort duties. IOS SAGAR is a strategic Indian initiative to promote cooperation among navies and maritime agencies in the Southwest Indian Ocean Region.

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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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Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the four-day Sansad Khel Mahakumbh at K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh on 19 April 2025. The Sansad Khel Mahakumbh takes place from 19 to 22 April 2025. Traditional Indian sports like Kalaripayattu, Yoga, and Mallakhamba were showcased during the event. These efforts have enabled youth from small towns to showcase their talent in sports. More than 25,000 participants are expected to compete in eight events, including athletics, volleyball, kabaddi, basketball, football, hockey, boxing, and taekwondo.

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China is increasing its activities in the Yellow Sea after aggressive actions in the South China Sea, including building a huge steel rig. The Yellow Sea is called Huang Hai in China and West Sea in North and South Korea. It is a marginal sea of Western Pacific Ocean and lies north of the East China Sea. It is bordered by China on the north and west, and by North Korea and South Korea on the east. The sea gets its yellow color from sand particles blown in from the Gobi Desert. It covers about 400,000 square kilometers and stretches around 960 kilometers north to south and 700 kilometers east to west. It is shallow, with depths ranging from 55 to 120 meters. It includes one of the world’s largest areas of submerged continental shelf.

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Two cheetahs named Prabhas and Pawak were released into Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Mohan Yadav. Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, spread across 64 square kilometers in Mandsaur and Neemuch districts, is now the second cheetah site after Kuno in Madhya Pradesh. The sanctuary is divided by the Chambal River and has a rich prey base including chinkaras, hare, chitals, and nilgai. Madhya Pradesh now plans to bring eight more cheetahs from Botswana in two phases — four by May 2025 and four later. With this relocation, Kuno now has 24 cheetahs — 14 roaming freely and 10 in enclosures.