Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

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Angola signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement and became its 123rd member during President Joao Lourenco’s visit to India. This visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and Angola. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a defence Line of Credit of 200 million US dollars to support Angola’s armed forces. India and Angola will work together to develop Angola’s new oil fields and set up onshore and offshore refineries. New cooperation areas include diamond processing, pharmaceuticals, automobile components, and digital infrastructure. Three agreements were signed on ayurveda, agriculture, and culture.

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On May 8, 2025, twenty-two Naxalites were killed in an encounter during Operation Sankalp in the forests of Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. Operation Sankalp is a large-scale counter-insurgency drive launched on April 21, 2025, targeting Maoist strongholds across 800 sq km near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The operation involves nearly 28,000 personnel from District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).

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Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected as the 10th Chancellor of Germany by the Bundestag on 6th May 2025. He succeeded Olaf Scholz after Scholz’s coalition lost the 2025 Bundestag general election. Merz leads a three-party coalition government including the CDU, Christian Social Union (CSU), and Social Democratic Party (SPD). For the first time since World War II, a German Chancellor was elected in the second round of voting in the Bundestag. The Chancellor is nominated by the President and must win an absolute majority in the Bundestag. Merz failed in the first round but secured victory in the second.

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The 2025 World Bank Land Conference took place at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The theme for this year’s conference is “Securing Land Tenure and Access for Climate Action.” It aims to highlight how secure land rights can support environmental goals and climate resilience. The conference encourages policy-focused research and cross-sectoral exchange of ideas and practices. India’s Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) Scheme is gaining global praise for using drone technology to map rural land and provide ownership rights. The Gram Manchitra platform is also being recognised for helping villages plan development activities using spatial data.

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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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A proposed ₹23.7 crore ecotourism project in Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya, has recently faced strong opposition from local groups and environmental activists. Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya and lies within the Eastern Himalayan Global Biodiversity Hotspot. The sanctuary’s landscape includes undulating plains, low hills, and rugged terrain shaped by the Umtrew River and its tributaries like Umran, Umling, and Umtasor. Umtrew River forms the western boundary of the sanctuary. It is home to over 400 bird species including the endangered Rufous-necked Hornbill, and mammals like the Clouded Leopard, Elephant, and Himalayan Black Bear.

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The MADMAX collaboration recently published the first results of its search for dark photons using a prototype detector. MADMAX stands for Magnetised Disk and Mirror Axion Experiment. It is a research project focused on detecting dark matter particles like axions and dark photons. The MADMAX detector uses a system made of sapphire disks and a mirror to form a resonator that enhances detection signals. Dark photons are theoretical particles similar to light particles (photons) but have mass. They are believed to be part of galactic dark matter and can turn into ordinary photons under special conditions.

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Russia recently honoured Biju Patnaik by unveiling a memorial plaque at its embassy in New Delhi for his heroic role during the Battle of Stalingrad in World War II. Biju Patnaik, born in Cuttack in 1916, was a brave freedom fighter, expert pilot, and prominent politician. He joined the Royal Indian Air Force in 1936 and flew dangerous missions during World War II. During the Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43), he risked his life flying through German defences to supply arms to the Soviet Red Army. This battle was a turning point in World War II, stopping the German advance. Patnaik also played a vital role in India’s Quit India Movement by secretly flying nationalist leaders.

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India reportedly opened multiple gates at the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project Dam on the Chenab River in Ramban, Jammu and Kashmir, amid rising water levels. The Chenab River, meaning “Moon River,” is a major tributary of the Indus River. It originates from the confluence of Chandra and Bhaga streams at Tandi in the Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh. In its upper stretches, it is also known as Chandrabhaga. It flows through Jammu and Kashmir, passing between the Siwalik Range and Lesser Himalayas. It then turns southwest into Pakistan, joining the Jhelum River near Trimmu and later merging with the Sutlej River.

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A groundbreaking study has recently offered new hope for treating Lafora Disease, a rare and deadly genetic disorder. Lafora Disease seriously affects the brain and nervous system, leading to severe health issues. It is part of a group of disorders called autosomal recessive progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME), which causes seizures, mental decline, and loss of motor skills. It is more common in areas where marriages between close relatives, called consanguineous marriages, are practiced. It is mainly seen in Mediterranean countries, Northern Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Southern India.