India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Indore has become India’s first beggar-free city as of May 2025, marking a major success in social welfare. The campaign was launched in February 2024 under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment as a pilot project in 10 cities. Around 5,000 beggars, including 500 children, were identified on city streets before the campaign began. Beggars were rehabilitated by offering jobs, and children were enrolled in schools for education. Awareness campaigns were run in the first phase, followed by rehabilitation efforts. Giving money to beggars or buying from them is now banned, with three First Information Reports (FIRs) filed. Citizens are rewarded ₹1,000 for reporting instances of begging, which has boosted public participation. The initiative has been recognised by the Union Ministry and a World Bank team as a national model.

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A wild banana species called Musa indandamanensis from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recently set a world record with the longest banana infructescence measuring 4.2 metres. An infructescence is the full fruiting part of a plant. This wild species is endemic to the Nicobar group, especially found in Campbell Bay. The tree grows about 11 metres tall with a stem girth of around 110 centimetres. Earlier, the longest known banana infructescence was only 3 metres. The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is preserved in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, and botanical centres like A.J.C. Bose Indian Botanic Garden. It holds potential for future disease-resistant and high-yield banana varieties.

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On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, contestants of Miss World 2025 from 22 countries visited Buddhavanam, a major Buddhist theme park. Buddhavanam is located on the northern bank of the Krishna River in Telangana, India. It was sanctioned by the Government of India as part of the integrated Buddhist Circuit to boost tourism, especially from Southeast Asia. The park covers an area of 279 acres. It is designed to showcase the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha through various themed sections.

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Minister of Power and Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the Bharat Bodh Kendra at India Habitat Centre (IHC), New Delhi. Bharat Bodh Kendra is a new section under the Habitat Library and Resource Centre. It is dedicated to deepening understanding of India’s cultural and civilizational heritage. The centre offers curated books and resources on Indian art, music, spirituality, history, and philosophy. It provides a quiet space for reflection, learning, and cultural exploration.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched the e-Zero initiative to auto-register high-value cybercrimes. Cyber financial crimes above ₹10 lakh reported via the 1930 helpline or National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) will now be automatically converted into First Information Reports (FIRs). This system is currently launched as a pilot project in Delhi and will soon be expanded nationwide. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under MHA designed this system to speed up the crackdown on cybercriminals.

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On May 21, 2025, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the Mahavistar app and Digital Sheti Shala to give farmers easy access to agricultural knowledge . These platforms will guide farmers from sowing to harvesting with videos, real-time price data, and AI chatbots. It was launched during the Kharif season review meeting at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai.

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Recently, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-II. The Nabinagar Super Thermal Power Project is located in Aurangabad, Bihar. This new project will have a capacity of 2,400 megawatts (MW), with three units of 800 MW each. It will be built at a cost of over ₹29,930 crore to improve energy security in Bihar and eastern India. The project aims to provide affordable electricity to the region and support economic growth. It is being developed by NTPC, which stands for National Thermal Power Corporation, India’s largest power utility. NTPC already runs the existing 1,980-MW Nabinagar Stage-I project.

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Recently, Bihar inaugurated the Bikram Lock Canal Bank solar power project in Patna under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign to promote green energy. This project helps reduce pollution caused by traditional energy sources and supports sustainable development. It is set up along a 2-kilometer stretch of the main canal at Bikram in Patna district. The solar plant has an installed capacity of 2 megawatts and covers 5.7 acres of land provided by the Water Resources Department.

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India’s first underwater museum and artificial coral reef will be created around the decommissioned warship Indian Naval Ship (INS) Guldar near Nivati Rocks in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra. The project was virtually inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra with strong support from the central government. It aims to promote marine conservation and tourism, offering activities like scuba diving and submarine tours in the future. INS Guldar, a 1,120-ton ship decommissioned in January 2024, has been handed over to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

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Recently, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) started an official investigation into the Air India flight AI-17 crash involving a Boeing 787. Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is a government agency under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, set up in 2012 to investigate aircraft accidents and serious incidents in Indian airspace. Its goal is to find out what went wrong and suggest safety steps, not to blame anyone.