Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
The 2024 report titled “Plant Breeding Programmes in Indian Zoos: Assessment and Strategic Actions” by the Central Zoo Authority highlighted a gap in conservation breeding for the endangered Himalayan Musk Deer in Indian zoos. The Himalayan Musk Deer (Moschus leucogaster) is native to the Himalayas and can be found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and China. It inhabits alpine forests and scrublands. Known for being solitary, nocturnal, and territorial, the males have curved canines and a musk gland, making them vulnerable to poaching. The species is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and is under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Notes:
On April 24, 2025, China launched the Shenzhou-20 mission with three astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station. The mission coincides with China’s 10th Space Day, a celebration of its space exploration achievements. The astronauts will conduct space science experiments, replace the Shenzhou-19 crew, and perform extravehicular activities. They will also carry life science research objects like zebrafish, planarians, and streptomyces to study regeneration and biological processes in space. Space Day, celebrated every April 24, marks the 1970 launch of China’s first satellite, Dongfanghong-1. It highlights China’s commitment to space exploration and encourages public interest in the field.

Notes:
Indian scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a novel method to estimate Helium abundance in the Sun’s photosphere. Helium is the second most abundant element in the Sun but is hard to detect directly in its photosphere. Traditional methods used solar wind, corona data, hotter stars, and helioseismology but lacked precision. The new method uses spectral lines of Magnesium (Mg I), Carbon (C I), and molecular lines of MgH, CH, and C₂ observed in the Sun’s photosphere. By analyzing the relationship between Helium and Hydrogen, the method accurately estimates Helium’s abundance.

Notes:
China has officially launched the world’s first commercial 10 Gigabit per second (10G) broadband network, setting a new global standard for high-speed wired internet. This new 10G broadband offers speeds over 10 times faster than current fiber-optic networks used around the world. It allows ultra-fast downloads and uploads, very low latency, and high bandwidth capacity. It supports advanced applications like 8K video streaming, cloud gaming, smart cities powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), and virtual reality.

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Madhya Pradesh has received formal approval for the ₹2,100 crore Prime Minister Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park project. The project has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Textiles and will be the first integrated textile park of its kind in India. The PM MITRA Scheme aims to strengthen the Indian textile industry by enabling larger-scale operations. It seeks to reduce logistics costs by housing the entire value chain at one location. The scheme also aims to attract investment and enhance export potential. It is inspired by the 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) of the Prime Minister. The scheme was implemented by the Ministry of Textiles.

Notes:
Recently, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), successfully conducted a ground test of a Scramjet Engine for over 1,000 seconds in Hyderabad. A Scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) is an air-breathing engine designed to operate efficiently at hypersonic speeds, Mach 5 and above. Unlike traditional jet engines, Scramjets do not use rotating compressors; instead, they rely on the vehicle’s high speed to compress air. Scramjets enable supersonic combustion, making them ideal for Hypersonic Cruise Missiles (HCMs).

Notes:
A “breathing” cap of magma has been discovered inside the Yellowstone supervolcano, which might help predict when the volcano will next erupt, according to a new study. The Yellowstone supervolcano lies beneath Yellowstone National Park, in the western United States. It is one of the largest active volcanic systems in the world. The supervolcano is a caldera, a large crater formed by a major eruption, and is an active supervolcanic system. The caldera measures 55 x 72 km (34 x 45 miles) in size.

Notes:
The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Report, released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), reveals that Indigenous people receive less than 1% of international climate funding and are often excluded from climate solutions. Indigenous economies, which depend on agriculture, fishing, and forestry, face growing uncertainty, undermining economic self-sufficiency and sustainability. Disruption of ancestral lands and ecosystems affects traditional land-based practices, threatening environmental stewardship and sovereignty. Indigenous people are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related health issues due to limited access to healthcare and traditional food sources. Climate change also threatens the preservation of Indigenous languages, traditions, and cultural identities.

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Recently, the government selected Bengaluru-based start-up Sarvam to build India’s first indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM) under the ₹10,370 crore IndiaAI Mission. This project aims to create a strong AI infrastructure fully built, deployed, and optimized within India to strengthen strategic autonomy. Sarvam AI was chosen after a tough selection process among 67 applicants and will get access to 4,000 high-end Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for six months to develop the model. This move is significant as it boosts India’s leadership in AI and promotes innovation through homegrown technologies. It comes amid rising competition from China’s low-cost DeepSeek model.

Notes:
A rare inscription from the time of Vikramaditya I of the Badami Chalukya dynasty was recently found at Madapura Lake in Davangere district, Karnataka. Vikramaditya I ruled from 644 Common Era (CE) to 681 CE. He became king after the defeat of his father Pulakeshin II by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I. His most important military success was the recapture of Vatapi, the Chalukya capital, from the Pallavas. He supported temple architecture and encouraged the construction of freestanding temples, a key feature of Chalukya style. The inscription offers new insights into his rule and regional history.