Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated every year on April 30 to honour the achievements of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). PM-JAY is a government health insurance scheme that offers up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization care. The scheme targets over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families in India who cannot afford expensive medical treatment. It provides cashless and paperless treatment at any accredited hospital across India. On Ayushman Bharat Diwas, events are held nationwide to spread awareness and celebrate the scheme’s impact. The day also recognises the efforts of frontline workers and healthcare professionals involved in delivering quality services to beneficiaries.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
A new project called SeaCURE has begun on the south coast of England to remove carbon dioxide from the sea. The SeaCURE project is an initiative of the United Kingdom (UK) government. The SeaCURE project is testing if taking carbon directly from seawater can be a low-cost and large-scale way to cut down carbon dioxide in the air. This method is different from usual carbon capture techniques that focus on emissions at their source or pull carbon dioxide from the air. SeaCURE targets the ocean, where carbon levels are up to 150 times higher than in the atmosphere.

Notes:
Years of efforts by Jharkhand forest officials have succeeded with Jaigir becoming the first village to be fully relocated outside the core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR). Palamu Tiger Reserve is located in the western part of the Chotanagpur plateau and spreads across Latehar and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand. It covers a total area of 1,014 square kilometers, with 414 square kilometers as core and 600 square kilometers as buffer. It was among the first nine reserves established under ‘Project Tiger’, a conservation program launched in 1973 by the Government of India.

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The Gujarat High Court recently upheld a demolition drive carried out by state authorities in Ahmedabad’s Chandola Lake area. Chandola Lake, located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is an artificial lake established by Tajn Khan Nari Ali, the wife of a Mughal Sultan. Covering an area of approximately 1,200 hectares, the lake serves as a key water source for nearby industrial and residential areas. It has a circular shape and is divided into two parts, Chota Chandola and Bada Chandola. The Kharicut Canal Scheme, one of Gujarat’s oldest irrigation schemes, was introduced to irrigate 1,200 acres of rice land near the lake. The lake is home to various bird species, including cormorants, painted storks, and spoonbills.

Notes:
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has recently released detailed data, infographics, and graphical summaries on over 100 bacterial genomes under the ‘One Day One Genome’ initiative. A genome is the complete genetic material of an organism, made of unique DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) or RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) sequences. These sequences are made of chemical units called nucleotide bases, and identifying their order is known as genomic sequencing. The ‘One Day One Genome’ initiative was launched in November 2024 by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC). It is coordinated by BRIC-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), West Bengal. Data contributions come from 13 BRIC institutions and two bodies: International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced that May 5 will officially be declared as Traders’ Day in the state. This aligns with the day already observed by Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations annually. The announcement was made at the 42nd annual meeting of the Traders’ Association in Maduranthakam.

Notes:
India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, as a direct response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, including tourists. The operation targeted nine terror-linked sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are often blamed for sponsoring attacks in India. The attack on April 22, 2025, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), linked to LeT, with India accusing Pakistan of supporting it. Operation Sindoor was described as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory,” aiming to dismantle terrorist infrastructure while avoiding military targets. Rafale jets and precision missiles were used in the 23-minute operation.

Notes:
Mumbai International Airport, operated by the Adani Group, has introduced a modernized, digital-first Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC). The upgraded facility is equipped with advanced technology including real-time data systems, high-resolution visual displays, and integrated communication platforms. This development is aimed at significantly improving the airport’s operational efficiency and coordination among various stakeholders such as airlines, ground staff, and air traffic controllers. The AOCC represents a major step toward smart infrastructure in aviation, reinforcing Mumbai’s role as a major global air travel hub with cutting-edge technological capabilities.

Notes:
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), under the Ministry of Defence, celebrated its 66th anniversary on May 7, 2025. It was established in 1960 with just two projects—Project Tusker (now Vartak) in the East and Project Beacon in the North. BRO now runs 18 projects across 11 States and 3 Union Territories, building roads in high-altitude and snow-bound areas. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) functions under the Ministry of Defence.