Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, Ghaziabad issued India’s first Certified Green Municipal Bond, raising ₹150 crore for a Tertiary Sewage Treatment Plant (TSTP). This bond marks a major shift towards sustainable urban infrastructure and financial innovation. The Tertiary Sewage Treatment Plant uses advanced Membrane Filtration Technologies like microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis (RO) to treat wastewater. The plant has a treatment capacity of 40 Million Litres per Day (MLD) and is linked to a 95 km pipeline network. It supplies treated water to over 1,400 industrial units, cutting dependence on freshwater sources.

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Researchers at the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Mohali, have found a new way to improve green hydrogen production. They created a special heterostructure using Copper Tungsten Oxide and Copper Oxide. This structure uses the Built-In Electric Field (BIEF) effect to boost the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). The Copper Tungsten Oxide nanoparticles are grown over a Cu(OH)₂ base, forming a p-n heterojunction with an uneven electronic setup. This BIEF helps in better proton adsorption and desorption. Green hydrogen, made from water using clean energy, is a pollution-free fuel of the future.

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A six-year-old girl in Kerala’s Malappuram district sadly died of rabies even after getting preventive vaccination, highlighting a serious public health concern. Rabies is a fatal zoonotic disease caused by the Rabies virus (RABV), which attacks the nervous system. Rabies virus is an RNA virus from the rhabdovirus family and spreads in two main ways in the body. It can directly enter the peripheral nervous system and reach the brain. Or it can first hide and multiply in muscle tissue, then move into the nervous system through neuromuscular junctions. Once in the brain, it causes severe and deadly inflammation.

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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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The Asian Games 2026 will be held in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. This will mark the third time the Asian Games is being hosted in Japan, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994. Cricket has been officially retained for the Asian Games 2026. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) will make its debut in the 2026 edition of the continental event.

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Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai during the WAVES 2025 event. IICT is a national-level institute focused on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC). It has already started functioning from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) building on Pedder Road, Mumbai. It is established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with support from FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry).

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Vietnam hosts the United Nations (UN) Day of Vesak in 2025 from May 6 to 8 in Ho Chi Minh City. The United Nations Day of Vesak marks the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Lord Buddha. In a historic first, the sacred Buddha Relic from Sarnath, India, will be sent to Vietnam for special exposition. The event is being organized by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, along with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

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The Prime Minister of India will officially inaugurate the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala, marking a major milestone in global maritime connectivity for the state. Vizhinjam Port is located in Vizhinjam, a coastal town in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. It is India’s first dedicated transshipment port and also the country’s first semi-automated port. The port is built at a cost of about ₹8,900 crore under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and is operated by the Adani Group, while the Kerala government holds the majority stake. It has the deepest breakwater in India, nearly three kilometres long, with a natural draft of about 20 metres. The port features India’s first home-built, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Vessel Traffic Management System, developed with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

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Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty recently received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for their outstanding achievements in badminton. The pair reached the No. 1 rank in the Badminton World Federation rankings in 2023 and won the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award was originally established as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 1991–92 and renamed in 2021. It is India’s highest sporting honour, given for the most exceptional performance by a sportsperson over the last four years. Only performances in recognized international events are eligible for consideration. The award includes a ₹25 lakh cash prize, a medal, and a certificate of honour, with typically one award given each year.

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The President of India recently launched the Mediation Association of India and addressed the First National Mediation Conference 2025 in New Delhi. This event highlights the importance of the Mediation Act, 2023, which aims to revive India’s civilisational legacy of resolving disputes peacefully. The Act promotes out-of-court settlements and builds a structured system for mediation across the country. It encourages extending mediation to rural areas by legally empowering Panchayats to resolve village conflicts. This step supports social harmony, which is key to national strength and unity. Mediation reduces court burdens, speeds up justice, and strengthens the judicial system. It also boosts the ease of doing business and ease of living, helping in the journey towards Viksit Bharat by 2047.