Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

Notes:
Telangana is hosting the Global Bharat Summit with over 450 delegates from 100 countries. The event takes place on April 25–26 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. The theme of the summit is “Delivering Global Justice,” marking 70 years of the Bandung Conference that led to the Non-Aligned Movement. The summit promotes democracy, pluralism, and justice while showing how states can shape international cooperation.

Notes:
Similipal has been declared a national park by the Odisha government. Similipal is now the 107th national park in India and the second in Odisha after Bhitarkanika. Similipal is also the largest national park in Odisha and part of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) spread over 2,750 square kilometres. The park is rich in biodiversity with 55 species of mammals, 361 birds, 62 reptiles, and 21 amphibians.

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The Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer, INS Surat, recently test-fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile in the Arabian Sea. INS Surat is the fourth and final ship of the Project 15B. It belongs to the Visakhapatnam-class of stealth guided missile destroyers. It ranks among the largest and most advanced destroyers globally. With 75 percent indigenous content, it is equipped with cutting-edge weapon-sensor systems and advanced network-centric capabilities. It was designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai. It was commissioned in January 2025.

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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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The Dhubri-Phulbari Brahmaputra Bridge, a 19.28 km project, has 59% of its work completed, according to reports. It is a 4-lane bridge being built over the Brahmaputra River, connecting Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya on National Highway 127 B. The bridge will be 19.3 km long, making it the longest river bridge in India. It will have a navigation bridge of 12.625 kilometers, with approach viaducts of 3.5 km on the Dhubri side and 2.2 km on the Phulbari side. The structure will be supported by 199 pillars. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is handling the civil construction for the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project is estimated to cost ₹3,165.99 crore.

Notes:
Recently, delegates met in New York for the first session of the Preparatory Commission to frame rules for the High Seas Treaty and prepare for the first Conference of Parties (COP1). The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, also called the High Seas Treaty, is a United Nations (UN) treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It is the first treaty aimed at protecting ocean areas beyond national borders and is often called the Paris Agreement for the Ocean. It legally binds countries to protect marine biodiversity and promote sustainable use through international cooperation. The treaty will help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) and will become effective 120 days after 60 countries ratify it.

Notes:
Recently, former United States President Donald Trump proposed formal recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, challenging America’s long-standing opposition to the annexation. Crimea is an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine, located between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The Crimean Peninsula connects to Ukraine through the 8-kilometre-wide Perekop Isthmus and to Russia via the Crimean Bridge across the Kerch Strait. Historically known as the Tauric Peninsula, Crimea has seen control shift between empires like the Ottomans and Russians. The region has the Crimean Mountains, rivers like Salhir and Alma, and important resources on the Kerch Peninsula.

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India shines at the 2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship 2025 by winning 87 medals, including 83 gold, three silver, and one bronze. India topped the medal table, followed by Japan in second place and Mongolia in third place. The 2nd Asian Yogasana Sport Championship 2025 was held at the KD Jadhav Arena, Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi, from April 25 to 27, 2025. The first Asian Yogasana Sport Championship was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2022. The event was organised by Yogasan Bharat with support from the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India.

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According to the 2024 edition of the “Trends in World Military Expenditure” report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India’s military spending was nearly nine times higher than Pakistan’s. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is a Swedish think tank that publishes this annual report analysing global military expenditure. In 2024, global defence spending reached 2.46 trillion, up from 2.24 trillion in 2023. This accounted for 1.9 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 1.6 percent in 2022 and 1.8 percent in 2023. Just five countries – the USA, China, Russia, Germany, and India – accounted for 60 percent of global military expenditure. India was the fifth highest military spender in 2024, spending $86.1 billion, a 1.6 percent rise from 2023 and a 42 percent increase since 2015.

Notes:
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will take charge on May 14, 2025, succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment of the Chief Justice of India is guided by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the President of India to appoint the CJI. Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice if needed.