Current Affairs Quiz - May 2025

Notes:
China has launched 12 satellites to begin building the world’s first space-based supercomputing network, called the Three-Body Computing Constellation. The satellites were launched using a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre as part of a project led by Zhejiang Lab. These satellites have Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered processors and high-speed links to communicate and process data in orbit without ground stations. Once complete, the constellation will include 2,800 satellites with a combined power of 1,000 peta operations per second (POPS). The project is developed by ADA Space, Zhijiang Laboratory, and Neijang High-Tech Zone to offer real-time, autonomous data processing from space.

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Gujarat has completed its 16th lion population census, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announcing 891 lions. This increase shows Gujarat’s success in wildlife conservation, especially through Project Lion. Project Lion focuses on habitat management, wildlife health monitoring, and community involvement to support lion growth. Preliminary data show 196 adult male lions, with the rest being females, cubs, and sub-adults. Lions, once mostly in Gir National Park, are now spreading to new areas, showing better habitat connectivity. The Asiatic lion is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, recently upgraded from Endangered.

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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.

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Recently, the Vice-President of India unveiled statues of Charaka and Sushruta at Raj Bhavan in Goa, honouring their contribution to ancient Indian medicine. Charaka, a court physician during the Kushan period, is known as the Father of Medicine in India. He compiled the Charaka Samhita, a key text of Ayurveda, which focuses on diagnosis, prevention, physiology, and internal medicine. Charaka promoted medical ethics, dietary rules, and preventive care, and his work was translated into Arabic and Latin, influencing global medicine. Sushruta, from the 7th century BCE, is known as the Father of Surgery and possibly the first documented surgeon. He authored the Sushruta Samhita, which describes 300 surgical procedures and 120 instruments. These two legends laid the foundation for Ayurveda and surgery, and their legacy continues to inspire medical science globally.

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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.

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Recently, on May 22, 2025, the National Commission for Women (NCW) launched the Yashoda AI initiative at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly. Yashoda AI Abhiyan aims to expand women’s access to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Digital Safety training. The campaign, titled “Your AI SAKHI,” focuses on improving women’s digital literacy and awareness in a tech-driven world. NCW launched this initiative in collaboration with Future Shift Labs (FSL). It targets women, especially from rural and semi-urban areas, empowering them to lead in India’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). The program covers AI-driven crimes, digital privacy, and safety strategies through community participation. Students, educators, and women in the police force actively engage to ensure women lead digital change.

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Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a new high-efficiency tandem solar cell with nearly 30% power conversion efficiency compared to the current 20%. This innovation was developed at the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) and uses a four-terminal (4T) tandem structure. The top layer is made of semi-transparent halide perovskite, while the bottom layer uses traditional silicon, allowing both to work independently for better efficiency. Perovskite materials, known for excellent light absorption and low cost, now have improved durability of up to 10 years. The new design also works well in heat and low-light, making it ideal for India’s climate and helping reduce solar energy costs to ₹1 per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This breakthrough boosts India’s clean energy goals by enhancing output and land-use efficiency.

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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.

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Scientists have recently discovered a new extinct species named Mosura fentoni, an early marine predator from the Cambrian period around 506 million years ago. It was found in the Burgess Shale fossil site in British Columbia, Canada, which is known for preserving ancient marine life. Mosura fentoni belongs to the group Radiodonta, which are extinct stem-group arthropods and distant relatives of modern insects, spiders, and crustaceans. Although small in size, ranging from 1.5 to 6 centimetres, it had highly specialised body features. This discovery adds to our understanding of early marine ecosystems and arthropod evolution.

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The Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, will present the Anubhav Awards 2025 on August 18 in New Delhi. This year, the National Anubhav Awards Scheme expanded to include employees from Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and Public Sector Banks (PSBs) for the first time, along with Central Government employees. The scheme is run by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) to honor retired government employees. It encourages retirees to share their experiences on the “Anubhav Portal” and contribute to nation-building. The initiative helps document India’s administrative history through written stories by retired officials.