Current Affairs Quiz - April 2025

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.

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The United Nations (UN) Spotlight Initiative reports that climate change is worsening the social and economic pressures leading to increased violence against women and girls. A 1°C rise in global temperature is linked to a 4.7% increase in intimate partner violence. The UN Spotlight Initiative is a global strategic partnership between the European Union (EU) and the UN. It was launched in 2017 with the goal of ensuring all women, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups, live free from violence and harmful practices.

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Around 17,000 personnel are participating in the annual Balikatan Exercise 2025, which will simulate a full-scale battle scenario to deter China’s ambitions in the region. Balikatan Exercise is the largest bilateral military exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States. The word “Balikatan” is a Tagalog phrase meaning “shoulder-to-shoulder,” symbolizing strong cooperation between the two countries. This exercise is held every year to improve military interoperability and readiness. It supports the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines, strengthening their defence partnership.

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Uganda recently declared the end of the Ebola Sudan Virus Disease (SVD) outbreak after completing a 42-day mandatory countdown without new confirmed cases. The declaration came less than three months after the virus was detected in Kampala, the capital. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines require 42 days without new cases for a country to be declared Ebola-free. Uganda first declared the SVD outbreak on January 30, following the death of a nurse. There are no approved treatments or vaccines for the Sudan strain of Ebola, as vaccines are still in clinical trials.

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Recently, the SMILE scheme (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) has shown progress in identifying and rehabilitating beggars in urban areas but still faces challenges like underreporting and limited scale. It was launched in 2022 by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It focuses on addressing beggary mainly in religious, tourist, and historical cities. The scheme also includes a sub-scheme for the empowerment of transgender persons. By December 2024, it identified 9,958 individuals involved in begging across 81 cities and successfully rehabilitated 970 individuals, including 352 children.

Notes:
India is planning to restrict the import of genetically modified (GM) Alfalfa from the United States due to concerns over biosafety and environmental impact. Alfalfa is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the legume family Fabaceae. It is highly nutritious, rich in protein, calcium, vitamins A and D, and essential minerals. The crop grows well in temperate climates with ample sunlight. Major producers of Alfalfa include the United States, Russia, and Argentina. It enhances soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, thanks to symbiotic bacteria in its root nodules. Alfalfa is believed to have originated from the arid regions of present-day Iran and Turkey.

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The Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission was launched by NASA. Specifically, the mission was a NASA Heliophysics mission designed to study Earth’s auroral electrojets. Auroral electrojets are strong electric currents that flow 60 to 90 miles above the Earth’s polar regions. These currents are caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, and they can carry up to 1 million amps of charge per second. EZIE uses three CubeSats, which are small satellites, to investigate how these currents connect Earth’s auroras to its magnetosphere. The mission helps scientists understand how solar activity affects Earth, which is important for predicting space weather events.

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The Maharashtra government has launched the Tourism Security Force, also known as Paryatan Mitra, to improve tourist safety and boost tourism. The pilot launch will be held during the Mahabaleshwar festival from 1st to 4th May 2025 in Satara district. The Tourism Department will appoint tourism police on a contract basis to make tourists feel secure while visiting the state. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation will fund the project with help from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation and Satara police. These tourism police will also guide tourists by sharing information on cultural sites, laws, and sustainable tourism.

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United Kingdom (UK)-based health charity Encephalitis International has launched a global campaign titled ‘Preventing Future Encephalitis: Climate Change and Infectious Disease’ to raise awareness about encephalitis and promote vaccination. Encephalitis is the inflammation of active brain tissues caused by infections or autoimmune responses, affecting over 1.5 million people globally every year. The campaign highlights how climate change increases encephalitis risk by creating conditions for disease-carrying vectors like mosquitoes and ticks to spread. India is among high-burden countries, with 1,548 cases of Japanese encephalitis reported in 2024 from 24 states and union territories.

Notes:
Rajasthan has joined India’s first inter-state cheetah conservation corridor with Madhya Pradesh. This wildlife corridor is designed to connect protected areas in both states, allowing reintroduced cheetahs to roam safely across a vast ecosystem. The corridor covers 17,000 square kilometers, with 10,500 square kilometers in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 square kilometers in Rajasthan. Key locations include Palpur Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, which will serve as cheetah habitats. Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, along with several districts like Kota and Sawai Madhopur, has been identified as a cheetah habitat.