Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made it mandatory for all banks, financial institutions, and regulated entities to submit applications through the PRAVAAH portal from May 1, 2025. PRAVAAH stands for Platform for Regulatory Application, Validation, and Authorization. It is a secure, web-based digital portal launched by RBI on May 28, 2024. The portal serves as a single-window system for applying for RBI permissions, licenses, and approvals. This step aims to improve transparency, reduce paperwork, and speed up the approval process. It ensures faster communication between applicants and the RBI.

Notes:
The Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project, led by the Alappuzha District Administration, is inspired by the Namami Gange Programme for river conservation. A five-year plan worth ₹188.25 crore has been submitted to the Chief Minister of Kerala and may be revised based on studies by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). Vembanad Lake is the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala, stretching about 96.5 kilometres. It spreads across Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts, covering around 2,033 square kilometres. The lake is known by names like Vembanad Kayal, Punnamada Lake, and Kochi Lake in different regions. It receives water from six rivers, including Meenachil, Achankovil, Pamba, and Manimala, and drains into the Arabian Sea.

Notes:
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.

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:
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:
In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), India ranks 151 out of 180 countries. This is a slight improvement from 159th in 2024 and 161st in 2023, but India still remains in the “very serious” press freedom category. India ranks lower than neighbours like Nepal (90th), Maldives (104th), Sri Lanka (139th), and Bangladesh (149th). Norway, Estonia, and the Netherlands are the top three performers in press freedom globally. For the first time, global press freedom is seen as in a “difficult situation” due to rising economic pressures.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) will soon launch a new digital platform called ECINET to streamline electoral services. ECINET is a single-point user-friendly interface for voters, election officials, political parties, and civil society. It will integrate over 40 existing mobile and web apps of the ECI into one platform. Popular apps like Voter Helpline, Voter Turnout, cVIGIL, Suvidha 2.0, Electoral Search and Management System (ESMS), Saksham, and Know Your Candidate (KYC) will be merged into ECINET. It will offer a clean User Interface (UI) and smooth User Experience (UX), reducing the need to download multiple apps. ECINET will follow the Representation of the People Act 1950, 1951, and related rules and guidelines.

Notes:
The Government of India recently launched the “Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims Scheme, 2025” to provide free and quick medical help to accident victims. Any person injured in a road accident involving a motor vehicle on a public road in India will get cashless treatment at selected hospitals. The maximum treatment benefit is Rs 1.5 lakh, valid for seven days from the accident date. Non-designated hospitals can only provide emergency stabilisation care as per the scheme guidelines. The National Health Authority (NHA) will coordinate the scheme at the national level. It will work closely with police, hospitals, and State Health Agencies for smooth implementation. The State Road Safety Council in each state and Union Territory will act as the nodal agency for local execution.

Notes:
The Hubble Space Telescope recently completed 35 years of space exploration since its launch on April 24, 1990. It is the first dedicated space-based telescope system and is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. The idea of such a telescope was first proposed in the 1940s by US astronomer Lyman Spitzer. It was launched as a joint mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA contributed 15% of the mission’s cost in return for 15% of observation time. Its launch was delayed from 1986 to 1990 due to technical issues and the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Hubble orbits Earth at around 569 km in Low Earth Orbit and observes ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. It was designed to be repaired and upgraded in space, making it a renewable telescope. This historic telescope continues to help scientists understand galaxies, stars, and the vast universe beyond Earth.

Notes:
In Operation Sindoor, SCALP missiles were recently launched from Indian Rafale fighter jets to hit terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). SCALP stands for Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée, which means Long-Range Autonomous Cruise Missile System in French. It is also called ‘Storm Shadow’ in the United Kingdom. SCALP is an air-launched cruise missile designed for long-range, deep-strike missions. It carries conventional explosives and targets high-value, fixed or stationary enemy positions. It was jointly developed by France and the United Kingdom. It is used by the air forces of India, Egypt, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.