Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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:
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).

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 United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has recently launched VoTAN, which stands for Victims of Terrorism Advocacy Network, to support victims and survivors of terrorism worldwide. VoTAN is the result of efforts by the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, co-chaired by Spain and Iraq, which was formed around six years ago to protect the rights of victims. This global network was a major outcome of the 2022 United Nations Global Congress on Victims of Terrorism. It aims to offer a safe platform for victims to connect, heal, build resilience, and act as educators, peacebuilders, and advocates. The network is financially supported by Spain.

Notes:
At the recent World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s growing Orange Economy driven by content, creativity and culture. The Orange Economy, also called the creative economy, covers sectors that are based on cultural and creative ideas. As per the United Nations Economic Network, it focuses on using creative assets to boost economic growth and development. It combines economic, cultural and social factors while linking with technology, intellectual property and tourism. It includes industries based on individual talent, skill and innovation that can generate jobs, income and cultural value.

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 recently halted the flow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River, a significant move impacting water access to Pakistan. The Baglihar Dam, also known as the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project, is located on the Chenab River in the Doda District of Jammu and Kashmir. It features a concrete gravity dam that is 144.5 meters high and 363 meters long, with a reservoir capacity of 475 million cubic meters. The underground powerhouse of the project measures 221 meters long, 24 meters wide, and 51 meters high.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government launched the “One State, One Registration” scheme to make property registration easy and citizen-friendly. It allows people to register property documents at any sub-registrar office in Maharashtra, regardless of where the property is located. Earlier, buyers had to register documents only at the local sub-registrar office of the property, which caused delays and overcrowding. The new policy saves time, reduces paperwork, and helps senior citizens and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). Legal steps and documents like sale deed, Aadhaar, and PAN remain unchanged. It does not affect stamp duty or registration fees. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is using technology like Geographic Information System (GIS), drone mapping, and blockchain for better accuracy. This move is expected to boost real estate activity and investor confidence in the state.

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.

Notes:
NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) recently solved the mystery behind X-ray emissions in black hole jets. IXPE is a joint satellite mission by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Italian Space Agency, launched on December 9, 2021. It is the first satellite designed to measure the polarisation of X-ray light, helping scientists study extreme cosmic environments. The mission focused on blazars, which are a type of active galactic nucleus with a supermassive black hole ejecting a powerful jet of particles aimed toward Earth.