Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
Archaeologists have recently discovered prehistoric tools from the Lower Paleolithic age at Mangar Bani, highlighting its ancient human presence. Mangar Bani is a sacred grove and Paleolithic site located in the Aravalli hills on the Delhi-Haryana border. It lies within the only primary forest in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), meaning the forest is largely untouched by human activities and contains native tree species. Evidence shows continuous human occupation from around 100,000 years before present (BP) to 1000 AD. The site also has rock shelters and ancient rock and cave paintings estimated to be 20,000 to 40,000 years old.

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Recently, the US President instructed his administration to rebuild and expand Alcatraz, the notorious prison that has been closed for over 60 years on an isolated island off California’s coast. Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock,” is a rocky landmass in San Francisco Bay, United States. In 1849, the island was sold to the U.S. government and became home to the first California lighthouse in 1854. By 1859, the first permanent army troops were stationed there, and in 1861, it became a military prison. In 1934, Alcatraz became a federal prison, housing some of the most dangerous criminals. The prison had the capacity to hold over 330 prisoners, but typically housed around 260 at a time. Known as the most inescapable prison in the United States, it operated as a maximum-security facility until 1963.

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Rajasthan has recently joined Madhya Pradesh in forming India’s first inter-state Cheetah conservation corridor. The total area of this corridor is 17,000 square kilometres, with 10,500 sq km in Madhya Pradesh and 6,500 sq km in Rajasthan. Kuno National Park in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, is the main site under the cheetah reintroduction project. Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur is selected as the second cheetah habitat in Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan districts like Kota, Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, and Chittorgarh are part of the corridor. The project gets support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced that May 5 will officially be declared as Traders’ Day in the state. This aligns with the day already observed by Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations annually. The announcement was made at the 42nd annual meeting of the Traders’ Association in Maduranthakam.

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In response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and rising tensions with Pakistan, the Indian Navy is enhancing its maritime strength by inducting INS Tamal. INS Tamal is a stealth guided missile frigate with advanced features designed for modern naval warfare. It is an upgraded Krivak-III class warship built under a $2.5 billion India-Russia defence deal for four stealth frigates. Two of these frigates are being built in Russia, and the other two at Goa Shipyard Limited in India. INS Tushil, the first warship of this class, joined the Indian Navy in December 2024. INS Tamal will be the last imported warship, marking India’s shift to building its own warships. The remaining two frigates, INS Triput and INS Tavasya, are being constructed in India under a technology transfer agreement worth around Rs 13,000 crore.

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Public trespassing in the ecologically sensitive Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) in Khanapur taluk has raised major concerns among conservationists recently. Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Western Ghats in the Belgaum district of Karnataka. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in December 2011 to protect its rich biodiversity. The sanctuary is named after the historic Bhimgad Fort, built by Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century to defend against Portuguese forces. It borders Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, Mollem National Park, Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.

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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.

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Kosmos 482 was a Soviet-era Venus lander launched on March 31, 1972, as part of the Venera space program. Its mission was to land on Venus, but a rocket malfunction left it stranded in Earth’s orbit. After orbiting Earth for over 50 years, the 500-kg lander module is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere around May 10, 2025. The spacecraft has been circling the planet for decades, marking an unusual journey in space history. Its re-entry marks the end of a long-lived mission that never reached its intended destination.

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The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-19 Football Championship 2025 takes place in Yupia, Papum Pare District, Arunachal Pradesh from May 10, 2025. Six countries are taking part in the tournament, which aims to promote youth football in South Asia. Group A includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, and the Maldives, while Group B has India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The championship runs until May 18, encouraging regional sportsmanship and football development among young players.

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Indian and US researchers have recently discovered a new subtype of Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), a rare, inherited form of diabetes. MODY is caused by genetic mutations that lead to impaired insulin production or function. It is typically diagnosed in adolescents or young adults under 35 years of age, without significant obesity. The discovery was made by researchers from the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This breakthrough could change the way certain forms of MODY are diagnosed and treated, offering better solutions for patients. MODY is divided into 14 subtypes, each linked to different gene mutations.