India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Union Minister of Women and Child Development has launched the Gender Budgeting Knowledge Hub to support gender-sensitive planning across India. It is a digital platform developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The aim is to help policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders use gender-disaggregated data and tools for better planning. The portal offers policy briefs, best practices, and resources to promote gender equity in budgeting. It supports both Central and State-level planning with a focus on gender inclusion.

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The Andhra Pradesh government has launched the ‘Vidya Shakti’ programme on a pilot basis to assist underperforming students in government schools and colleges. It uses technology and innovative methods to provide extra coaching in Mathematics, Science, and English after school hours. Currently, it is running in 4,424 Zilla Parishad, Government, and Municipal schools, and 576 KGBVs, Residential, and Model Schools. The main goals are to improve learning outcomes, reduce dropout rates, and increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER).

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Recently, the Registrar General of India (RGI) asked all States to ensure that mothers receive birth certificates of newborns before being discharged from hospitals, especially government-run hospitals. The Registrar General of India was set up under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is also the Census Commissioner of India. The Registrar General of India mainly collects data on population size, growth, and distribution.

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Recently, Italian luxury brand Prada admitted its Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 sandals were inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear after criticism about copying India’s Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Kolhapuri chappals. Kolhapuri chappals originated from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and have been made since the 13th century. They are handmade leather sandals known for their intricate designs and open-toed T-strap style. They use 100% leather from cow, buffalo, or goat.

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Recently, the first-ever Ladakh Astro Tourism Festival concluded in Leh, organised by the Tourism Department with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, to boost astro tourism and science tourism. The two-day festival aimed to promote Ladakh as a top destination for astro tourism because of its high altitude, dry weather, low light pollution, and clear skies, perfect for stargazing and observing the Milky Way.

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The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, launched a three-month nationwide saturation campaign from 1st July to 30th September 2025. The campaign aims to expand the reach of flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). It targets complete coverage across 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

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Recently, the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIMK) launched the ‘Gyanodaya’ Centre for Pedagogical Innovation and Publishing. This initiative is part of IIMK’s Vision 2047 and supports the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP). The main aim is to reform management education through innovative teaching methods. The centre will create and publish academic materials like case studies and books. It plans to blend Indian traditional knowledge with global educational practices. Gyanodaya will run its own manuscript platform named ‘Pandulipi’. It will promote collaboration among learners, authors, and educational institutions.

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The Indian Army, J&K Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently launched Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was conducted by Chinar Corps in the general area of Lidwas. Three terrorists were eliminated, including Hashim Musa, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and mastermind of the Pahalgam attack. The anti-terror operation lasted two days and was based on intercepted communication from Dachigam forests.

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Recently, Sikkim became the first Indian state to launch a formal Sabbatical Leave scheme for its government employees. The scheme was introduced in August 2023 for regular employees with at least five years of continuous service. Eligible employees can take leave from 365 days up to 1,080 days with 50% of their basic pay during leave. Their seniority and continuity of service are protected during the leave period. The government can recall an employee anytime with a one-month notice.

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India developed the Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), an advanced weather prediction model. BharatFS improves extreme rainfall forecast accuracy by 30% over earlier models. It was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, in collaboration with the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). BharatFS is part of the “Make in India” initiative supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision. The system enables localized forecasts useful for disaster management and agriculture at village levels. India is the only country running such a high-resolution global, real-time weather system.