Important Days and Events Current Affairs MCQs

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The 6th edition of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain – 2025 was launched in Panchkula, Haryana on World Water Day, 22 March 2025. It focuses on 148 water-stressed districts across India. This was the first time the campaign was launched outside New Delhi. It promotes water conservation awareness and community participation. The campaign runs during the monsoon season. The initiative was launched by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Government of Haryana. The 2025 campaign theme is “Peoples’ Action for Water Conservation – Towards Intensified Community Connect.”

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The 20th meeting of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA-20) has begun in Rome. Global leaders are discussing strategies to conserve plant and forest genetic resources and will release two major global reports. CGRFA is a permanent intergovernmental body under the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), established in 1983 and expanded in 1995. It aims to promote sustainable biodiversity use, enhance food security, and ensure fair benefit-sharing. The headquarters of CGRFA is in Rome, Italy.

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United Nations General Assembly declared 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste on 14 December 2022. The day highlights the harmful impact of unsustainable production and consumption on the planet. Fashion and textile industry is a major contributor to environmental degradation due to its resource-intensive and waste-generating nature. The 2025 theme is “Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles”, promoting circular solutions.

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India recently hosted the 8th Meeting of the Joint Committee on ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to boost regional trade. AITIGA was signed in 2009 and came into force in 2010, aiming to ease trade between India and ASEAN nations. The agreement ensures National Treatment for goods of each party, as per General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1994. India-ASEAN trade reached USD 121 billion in 2023–24, forming 11% of India’s global trade. The next meeting will be held in June 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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World Liver Day is observed every year on April 19 to raise awareness about liver-related diseases and promote liver health globally. The liver is a vital organ that plays a major role in metabolism, detoxification, immunity, and processing nutrients in the body. In 2025, the theme of World Liver Day is “Food is Medicine,” focusing on the importance of a healthy and balanced diet to prevent liver diseases. This day reminds people that proper food choices and lifestyle habits are key to maintaining liver function and ensuring overall well-being.

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Ayushman Bharat Diwas is celebrated every year on April 30 to honour the achievements of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). PM-JAY is a government health insurance scheme that offers up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization care. The scheme targets over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families in India who cannot afford expensive medical treatment. It provides cashless and paperless treatment at any accredited hospital across India. On Ayushman Bharat Diwas, events are held nationwide to spread awareness and celebrate the scheme’s impact. The day also recognises the efforts of frontline workers and healthcare professionals involved in delivering quality services to beneficiaries.

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International Labour Day, also called International Workers’ Day, is celebrated every year on May 1 to honour the hard work and contributions of workers across all sectors. The day highlights the need for fair wages, safe working conditions, and reasonable working hours for all employees. It also reminds us of the struggle of workers in history and the continued importance of protecting their rights. The International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency, plays a key role in setting global labour standards.

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World Thalassemia Day is observed every year on 8th May to raise global awareness about the inherited blood disorder called Thalassemia. Thalassemia affects the body’s ability to produce hemoglobin, leading to severe anemia and requiring regular blood transfusions for survival. The theme for 2025 is “Together for Thalassemia: Uniting Communities, Prioritizing Patients”, highlighting the need for collective action and patient-focused care. This day promotes early diagnosis, public education, and support for patients and families. Despite its seriousness, awareness about Thalassemia is still low in many regions, making such observances important for prevention and understanding.

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The 10th International Trade Fair was inaugurated in Nepal by Nepal’s Commerce Minister Damodar Bhandari at Bhrikutimandap. The five-day event features 120 pavilions with participants from Nepal, China, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Turkey. China set up 40 stalls displaying electric vehicles, electronics, farm tools, clothes, home decor, and Tibetan incense as a major attraction. Nepal’s highlights include wood sculptures, jewellery, ritual items, Himalayan herbs, tea, coffee, spices, processed farm products, and Made in Nepal clothing. Exhibitors shared product details, and Umesh Dalmia from the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries spoke on boosting tourism like Delhi’s Pragati Maidan fair. The fair aims to build business-to-business links for global trade exposure.

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The Technology Development Board (TDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has announced the 2025 National Technology Day theme as “YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration.” National Technology Day is celebrated every year on 11th May to honour major achievements in India’s science and technology journey. On 11th May 1998, India conducted Pokhran-II nuclear tests under Operation Shakti, becoming a nuclear weapons state. On the same day, India also had the first flight of the indigenous “Hansa-3” aircraft in Bengaluru. The Trishul missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was also successfully test-fired. The day was officially declared by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and is observed annually since 1999.