Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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 Maharashtra government has launched the Tourism Security Force, also known as Paryatan Mitra, to improve tourist safety and boost tourism. The pilot launch will be held during the Mahabaleshwar festival from 1st to 4th May 2025 in Satara district. The Tourism Department will appoint tourism police on a contract basis to make tourists feel secure while visiting the state. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation will fund the project with help from the Maharashtra State Security Corporation and Satara police. These tourism police will also guide tourists by sharing information on cultural sites, laws, and sustainable tourism.

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:
The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have recently launched formal hydrogen exploration initiatives. Hydrogen is seen as the fuel of the future due to its ability to help decarbonize the global economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Natural hydrogen, or white hydrogen, is hydrogen that naturally occurs in the Earth’s crust, unlike industrially produced hydrogen. It forms through geological processes such as serpentinisation, where water reacts with iron-rich rocks, radiolysis, the breakdown of water by radioactive rocks, and the decomposition of organic matter in deep geological formations.

Notes:
The government has revamped the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) after the Pahalgam terror attack, appointing former intelligence chief Alok Joshi as chairman. National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) is an advisory body under the National Security Council (NSC) structure. It is chaired by the Prime Minister, supported by the National Security Advisor (NSA) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). Established in 1998 after the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, it institutionalized India’s national security framework. The NSAB provides non-partisan strategic inputs on national security issues but is not a decision-making body. It reports to the NSCS and includes experts from various sectors.

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.

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:
NITI Aayog, along with the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), released a report titled ‘Enhancing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Competitiveness in India’. The report highlights reforms needed in credit access, skill development, innovation, and market linkages to boost MSMEs. Using firm-level data and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), it suggests ways to integrate MSMEs into global value chains. Focus sectors include textiles, chemicals, automotive, and food processing. Credit access improved between 2020 and 2024, yet only 19% demand was met formally by 2021, with ₹80 lakh crore unmet. The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) expanded but still needs redesign for wider impact.

Notes:
Nepal has introduced a new draft law to allow only experienced climbers, who have scaled peaks above 7,000 metres, to attempt Mount Everest. This step comes in response to rising deaths, overcrowding, and environmental damage on the world’s tallest mountain. By restricting access, Nepal hopes to improve climber safety and promote responsible tourism. The law aims to ensure that only skilled mountaineers with proven high-altitude experience undertake such risky expeditions. The move also supports environmental conservation by addressing waste buildup and uncontrolled tourist flow in the fragile Everest ecosystem. This reflects Nepal’s growing commitment to sustainable mountaineering practices.

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.