Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
India recently signed agreements to supply 4.12 lakh tonnes of green hydrogen derivatives to Japan and Singapore. The Green Hydrogen Certification Scheme of India (GHCI) was launched simultaneously to ensure credible and transparent green hydrogen production. GHCI is India’s first certification framework to verify that hydrogen is produced exclusively using renewable energy. This certification ensures hydrogen is recognized as “green.” GHCI was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is the nodal agency for GHCI. It is supported by the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

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:
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.

Notes:
A massive explosion recently hit Iran’s Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, causing a huge fire and leading to many deaths and injuries. The blast is suspected to have been caused by sodium perchlorate, a chemical used in ballistic missile propulsion. Shahid Rajaee Port is Iran’s largest and most advanced commercial port. It is located near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route through which about 26% of the world’s oil is transported. The port manages 85% of Iran’s container cargo, 52% of its oil trade, and over half of its total maritime cargo. It lies along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), linking the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, Russia, and Northern Europe.

Notes:
The government introduced the “Depot Darpan” portal and mobile app to monitor food storage depots in real time. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution is responsible for launching the Depot Darpan portal. The initiative aims to ensure quality and safety in food grain storage for over 80 crore beneficiaries. Depot Darpan is part of a larger push for scientific warehousing and smart storage solutions. It will allow depot managers to track infrastructure, operational efficiency, and financial performance using geo-tagged data. The platform will provide automated ratings and insights for timely improvements. All data will be 100% validated by supervisory officers and random third-party audits.

Notes:
The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) recently scaled Mt. Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world. Mt. Makalu stands at 8,485 meters above sea level and is located in the Mahalangur range of the Nepal Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border. It lies 23 kilometers southeast of Mount Everest and is part of the Makalu Barun National Park. The mountain is famous for its pyramid-like shape with sharp ridges and includes two subsidiary peaks, Makalu I and Makalu II.

Notes:
India has become the first country in the world to develop genome-edited rice varieties. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed two such varieties named DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice. These rice varieties were developed using genome editing technology based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR Associated Protein (CRISPR-Cas). This technology allows precise changes in the genetic material without adding any foreign DNA. Genome editing targeted the Site Directed Nuclease 1 (SDN1) and SDN2 types of genes, which are approved under India’s biosafety rules. The development was supported by the National Agricultural Science Fund (NASF), which funds strategic agricultural research.

Notes:
Lawrence Wong has been elected as Prime Minister of Singapore. He is from the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has ruled Singapore since independence. Wong is an economist and served as the Finance Minister since 2021 before becoming Prime Minister. In the 2025 general elections, under his leadership, PAP won 87 out of 97 parliamentary seats. This included 82 seats through voting and 5 uncontested. The PAP’s popular vote increased to 65.6 percent, showing strong public support.

Notes:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has decided to begin repair work on the damaged mihrab structure around the old water tank at Safa Masjid in Ponda, Goa. Safa Masjid, also called Safa Shahouri Masjid, is a historic mosque built in 1560 by Sultan Adil Shah of Bijapur. It is one of the few Islamic monuments in Goa that survived the Portuguese colonial period, during which many religious sites were destroyed. The mosque is known for its architectural and cultural value and is declared a national monument under the protection of ASI. The recent decision by ASI follows months of delay and brings hope for the preservation of this heritage site.

Notes:
Haryana Government has launched a new scheme called Pandit Lakhmi Chand Kalakar Samajik Samman Yojana. It aims to support senior artists and art scholars who have contributed to art but are now inactive due to old age. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini approved this decision in a recent State Cabinet meeting. Eligible artists will receive ₹10,000 per month if their annual income is up to ₹1.80 lakh, and ₹7,000 if income is between ₹1.80 lakh and ₹3 lakh. Artists must be 60 years or older, with proof from Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP). Contributions in fields like singing, acting, painting, and dance for at least 20 years are required. Applications must include documents and press clippings and must be submitted online. A special committee will assess applications based on financial need and artistic merit.