Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
The Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea alleging illegal mining in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, calling it a frivolous abuse of law and imposed a ₹1 lakh penalty on the petitioner. Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. It lies across the Vindhya hills, known for their forested terrain and wildlife. It was declared a national park in 1968 and became a Tiger Reserve in 1993 under Project Tiger. The park is famous for its Royal Bengal Tigers.

Notes:
Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will take charge on May 14, 2025, succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment of the Chief Justice of India is guided by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the President of India to appoint the CJI. Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice if needed.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The European Red Admiral butterfly, scientifically called Vanessa atalanta, has been recorded for the first time in India near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. This rare sighting was confirmed during a butterfly survey at Thatharna Hill in the Dhauladhar mountain range, at an altitude of 2,500 metres. The observation was verified by Himalayan butterfly expert Lovish Garlani from the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department. This raises the total number of butterfly species in Himachal Pradesh to 440, highlighting the region’s rich biodiversity. The species is known for long migrations across Europe and North America and was last seen in South Asia in 2022 in Pakistan after a 93-year gap. It has no confirmed records from China, Mongolia, or Afghanistan, making its presence in India a significant eastward range expansion.

Notes:
The Thrissur Pooram has officially begun with the ceremonial flag hoisting called Kodiyettam at the participating temples. Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu temple festival celebrated in Thrissur, Kerala during April-May. It was started by Shakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of Kochi. Ten temples participate in the festival, including Paramekkavu, Thiruvambadi, Kanimangalam, Karamucku, Laloor, Choorakottukara, Panamukkampally, Ayyanthole, Chembukkavu, and Neythilakavu. The festival features grand Poorams or processions of decorated elephants with traditional percussion music.

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:
Tunnel No. 8 (T-8) is set to become India’s longest railway tunnel at 14.57 km, overtaking Tunnel No. 50 (T-50), which is 12.77 km long on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link. It is part of the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project in Uttarakhand. T-8 is a twin tunnel located on the Devprayag–Janasu stretch of this 125-km rail line. The Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Broad Gauge Rail Link Project is being implemented by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.

Notes:
Reliance NU Suntech recently signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) to build Asia’s largest single-location integrated solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. SECI is a Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), dedicated to expanding Renewable Energy (RE) in India. SECI was formed in 2011 as a not-for-profit company and later became a commercial entity in 2015. It was established to support the National Solar Mission and has Miniratna Category-I status. SECI acts as the main agency for implementing solar, wind, and hybrid energy projects across India. It also helps fulfill India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by inviting developers through tenders for RE projects.

Notes:
Recently, scientists observed repeated unrest at Campi Flegrei between 1982–1984 and 2011–2024, involving land uplift, earthquakes, and underground rumbling due to rising fluid pressure. Campi Flegrei, also called the Phlegraean Fields, is an active volcanic system located near Naples, Italy. Unlike single-cone volcanoes like Mount Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei is a large caldera, which is a sunken volcanic area formed after a huge eruption. The caldera spans about 12 to 15 kilometers and was formed by a massive eruption nearly 39,000 years ago. That eruption may have triggered climate changes that contributed to the decline of Neanderthals.