Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
The National Archives of India (NAI) has added the private papers of former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to its rich collection, making a major contribution to India’s historical records. It works under the Ministry of Culture and stores old government records that are no longer active but important for research and administration. It is the largest archival repository in South Asia and protects records of lasting value to the Government of India. NAI was started as the Imperial Record Department on 11 March 1891 in Kolkata and moved to New Delhi in 1911. The full transfer of records to Delhi was completed in 1937. NAI also enforces the Public Records Act, 1993 and Public Record Rules, 1997. It preserves over 34 crore pages, including official files, maps, censuses, treaties, debates, rare manuscripts, and government documents.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government has launched the Tejaswi programme to build entrepreneurial skills and confidence in students. A multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the School Education Department, State Open School, and partners Udyam Learning Foundation and The Education Alliance. The programme aims to give students knowledge about self-employment and emerging industries. It will train students in vocational skills to help them become self-reliant and handle life challenges. This initiative supports the goals of the National Education Policy 2020, which promotes vocational learning and life skills in school education.

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:
Rajasthan has joined India’s first inter-state cheetah conservation corridor with Madhya Pradesh. This wildlife corridor is designed to connect protected areas in both states, allowing reintroduced cheetahs to roam safely across a vast ecosystem. The corridor covers 17,000 square kilometers, with 10,500 square kilometers in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 square kilometers in Rajasthan. Key locations include Palpur Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, which will serve as cheetah habitats. Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, along with several districts like Kota and Sawai Madhopur, has been identified as a cheetah habitat.

Notes:
Maharashtra has topped the CareEdge State Ranking Report 2025, released by CARE Ratings Ltd (CareEdge Ratings). This is the second edition of the CareEdge State Rankings. The rankings evaluate state performance across seven key pillars: economic performance, fiscal management, infrastructure development, financial sector growth, social development, governance quality, and environmental sustainability. The evaluation uses 50 measurable indicators. The primary aim is to provide a data-driven assessment of state performance. The rankings help identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for policy improvement. This report offers valuable insights for improving state governance and development strategies.

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 Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are now working together under the wastepickers component of the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Scheme. UNDP is providing financial support to State Project Management Units (PMUs) to strengthen the scheme’s implementation. The NAMASTE Scheme was jointly launched by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in 2023 to protect the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. Its wastepicker component was launched in 2024 with the goal to digitally profile and register 2.5 lakh wastepickers across India. It also provides health insurance under Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), and offers skill development training.

Notes:
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently found 11 Satavahana-era inscriptions in the Gundaram Forest of Telangana’s Peddapalli district. Two inscriptions mention the Chutu dynasty and a Satavahana prince named Kumāra Hakusiri. These inscriptions are written in early Brahmi script and show religious and political symbols. The Satavahana dynasty was founded by Simuka after the Mauryan Empire, around mid-1st century BCE. The word “Satavahana” in Prakrit means “driven by seven,” symbolizing the chariot of the Sun God. Their main regions were Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. They ruled from capitals like Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati.

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:
Recently, all political parties in Punjab united and firmly opposed releasing any extra water to Haryana from the Bhakra Dam, showing strong regional consensus. The Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam built across the Sutlej River, located near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. It stands near Bhakra village in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is the world’s highest straight gravity dam with a height of 207.26 meters. It is Asia’s second tallest dam after the 261-meter-high Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand. The dam is 518.25 meters long and about 9.1 meters wide at its crest.