Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
India recently welcomed the United Kingdom’s decision to return the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the Diego Garcia atoll, to Mauritius under a historic agreement. The Chagos Islands are located in the central Indian Ocean, about 1,600 km south of India’s southern tip. These islands have been a British Overseas Territory since November 8, 1965. Key islands in the group include Diego Garcia, Danger Island, Egmont Islands, Eagle Islands, Nelsons Island, Peros Banhos, Three Brothers, and the Solomon Islands. Diego Garcia, the largest island covering 30 square kilometers, hosts a major United States military base. The islands are flat and low-lying, with most areas not rising more than 2 meters above sea level and having no rivers or lakes. They experience a tropical marine climate with high heat and humidity, moderated by trade winds.

Notes:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), autism now affects 1 in 31 children in the United States as of 2022, up from 1 in 36 in 2020. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects brain development, causing challenges in communication, social skills, behaviour, and learning. Symptoms usually appear before age 3, but diagnosis may be delayed due to low awareness. Individuals with ASD may show repetitive actions, limited interests, and unique learning or movement styles. ASD results from both genetic and environmental factors, with genetics playing a major role. No evidence links vaccines to autism, and such claims are false and harmful.

Notes:
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav launched a nationwide campaign called ‘One Nation, One Mission: End Plastic Pollution’ ahead of World Environment Day. The campaign aims to raise awareness, change behaviour, and promote eco-friendly alternatives to plastic across India. It is part of Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), a larger movement started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage sustainable living. The campaign focuses on reducing plastic use, managing plastic waste efficiently, and supporting the development of sustainable materials. It will involve ministries, state governments, schools, industries, civil groups, and local communities in united action against plastic pollution.

Notes:
Nagshankar Temple in Biswanath district of Assam has recently been designated as a model temple for turtle conservation. It is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River. The temple was originally built by King Narasankar of Nagakha in the 4th century AD and later renovated by Ahom king Su-sen-pha in 1480. The temple has a large pond that is home to around 250–300 turtles, including rare species like black softshell, Indian softshell, and Malayan softshell turtles. Some turtles in the pond are believed to be hundreds of years old. The temple campus also houses peacocks, deer, and pythons, adding to its biodiversity significance.

Notes:
Recently, the 38th Meeting of the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC) was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The council recommended a 36% increase in stipend under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS). The scheme was launched on 19th August 2016 by the Government of India. The scheme provides financial support to establishments running apprenticeship programs. It is an initiative by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to boost apprenticeship training across the country.

Notes:
A new genus and species of eusauropod dinosaur named Jinchuanloong niedu was recently discovered from a fossilized partial skeleton with a nearly complete skull in Gansu province, China. Jinchuanloong niedu is an early member of Eusauropoda, a group of long-necked, herbivorous, four-legged dinosaurs. Its fossil was found in the lower Xinhe Formation near Jinchang city, dating back to the Middle Jurassic period, about 165 million years ago. Sauropods are known for their large size, long necks and tails, four legs, and plant-based diet. They were the largest land animals ever and lived from the Early Jurassic to Late Cretaceous worldwide. After a global warming event in the late Early Jurassic, eusauropods became the only surviving sauropod lineage.

Notes:
World Hunger Day is observed every year on May 28 to raise awareness about global hunger and food insecurity. It was founded by The Hunger Project in 2011 to highlight that over 800 million people worldwide do not get enough food. The focus is not just on feeding people for a day but on building long-term solutions to end hunger. It promotes empowering communities, especially women and smallholder farmers, to achieve lasting food security. Sustainable efforts include investment in education, healthcare, economic growth, and environmental protection. In 2025, World Hunger Day is being observed on Wednesday, May 28.

Notes:
Recently, researchers discovered a new plant species named Pedicularis rajeshiana in the high-altitude region of Rohtang Pass in the western Himalayas. It belongs to a group of plants called “Louseworts,” which are hemiparasitic and take some nutrients from other plants while also doing photosynthesis. The plant has unique floral traits and a distinct pollen structure that sets it apart from other species. Compared to its close relatives Pedicularis porrecta and Pedicularis heydei, this new species is smaller in size with fewer flowers and leaflets.

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.

Notes:
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, hosted a two-day national literary conference titled “How Much Has Literature Changed?” on May 29 and 30, 2025. The event was organised in collaboration with the Sahitya Akademi under the Ministry of Culture. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the conference at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and several eminent literary figures attended the event. The conference featured thematic sessions like Poets’ Meet – Straight from the Heart and Feminist Literature of India: Breaking New Grounds. Discussions reflected on literature’s role in societal change and India’s global literary voice. It concluded with a cultural session on Devi Ahilyabai Holkar’s legacy.