Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
The Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) Karmayogi platform has crossed a major milestone of 1 crore registered users. iGOT Karmayogi is launched under Mission Karmayogi, which is India’s National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB). It acts as a central learning hub for all levels of government officials through online, anytime, and role-based digital training. The platform replaces traditional classroom training with continuous and modular learning. It is designed as a scalable Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for long-term learning. iGOT Karmayogi is developed as a key part of the Digital India stack.

Notes:
India’s first Mahouts Village was recently inaugurated at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. A total of 44 houses have been built for mahouts and their families, who care for and manage elephants. This is the first such dedicated settlement in India aimed at improving the lives of mahouts. The project has been developed at a cost of ₹5.6 crore. It provides permanent and well-equipped housing for mahouts and cavadis (assistants), recognizing their traditional skills and contribution to elephant care. The initiative highlights Tamil Nadu’s efforts to ensure welfare of both elephants and their caretakers.

Notes:
Recently, Algeria became the 9th member of the New Development Bank (NDB), expanding opportunities for emerging markets. NDB was established in 2015 by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa under the BRICS group. Its headquarters is in Shanghai, China. It is a multilateral development bank created to fund infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs). So far, it has approved investment projects worth 40 billion US dollars, mainly in clean energy and related sectors. Members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and now Algeria.

Notes:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently asked for revisions to the excavation report submitted by the archaeologist who led the Keezhadi project. The Keezhadi excavation site is near Madurai in Tamil Nadu, on the banks of the Vaigai River. It is a major Sangam-era settlement dating from the 5th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. The site reveals a well-planned, literate, and craft-based urban society. Keezhadi suggests that South India had early urbanisation independent of North Indian cultures. It is considered one of Tamil Nadu’s most important archaeological discoveries after Adichanallur.

Notes:
The Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance recently held a colloquium in New Delhi with heads of Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunals (DRATs) and Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs). Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) are special courts set up under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993. They mainly handle loan default cases involving amounts above ₹20 lakh from banks and financial institutions. DRTs also hear Securitisation Applications (SAs) under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002. India currently has 39 DRTs, each led by a Presiding Officer.

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India has approved Rajasthan government’s plan to develop two new wetlands near Ajmer to support nature and planned city growth. This decision aims to protect the environment and ensure sustainable urban development near Ana Sagar Lake. Ana Sagar Lake is an artificial lake in Ajmer, Rajasthan, built between 1135 and 1150 AD by Anaaji Chauhan, father of King Prithviraj Chauhan. It is one of India’s largest and most famous lakes.

Notes:
Rajasthan’s traditional dish Ker Sangri has recently received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, highlighting its cultural and regional identity. It is made using Sangri pods from the Khejri tree and Ker berries from the Ker tree, both of which are native to the Thar Desert. Preparing Ker Sangri is a slow process involving soaking, boiling, and cooking with curd, red chillies, and spices. The dish is known for its tangy, spicy, and earthy flavour. It is high in fibre, low in fat, and commonly eaten with bajra roti and ghee. The Khejri tree is sacred to the Bishnoi community, symbolising life and environmental protection.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence is finalising a deal to procure 500 Invar Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGMs) from Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), worth around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 crore. The Invar missile is an ATGM designed to be launched from tank barrels, especially the T-90 tanks. It is known for its long-range precision strike and can destroy enemy tanks equipped with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). It is originally built by Rosoboronexport of Russia. The missile is now produced under license in India by BDL. This move boosts India’s defence capability and supports the Make in India initiative.

Notes:
Hyderabad teenager Vishwanath Karthikey Padakanti recently became the youngest Indian and the second youngest person in the world to complete the Seven Summits Challenge. The Seven Summits Challenge involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. It was first proposed and completed by Richard Bass in 1985. The peaks include Mount Everest in Asia, Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, and either Kosciuszko in Australia or Puncak Jaya in Oceania.

Notes:
Recently, scientists unearthed large stromatolites dating back 600 million years in the pine-covered ridges of Chambaghat in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Stromatolites are organo-sedimentary structures formed by algae and cyanobacteria trapping calcium carbonate in shallow marine environments. These structures show thin layers that are flat, dome-shaped, or hummocky in form. They were especially common during the Precambrian period, which is over 542 million years ago. While most stromatolites formed in marine seas, some from the Proterozoic era, over 2.5 billion years ago, lived in intertidal zones and freshwater bodies.