India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) became India’s first railway zone to shift to compostable bio-plastic on trains. As a pilot initiative, NFR introduced biodegradable linen bags on 15 August 2025, India’s 79th Independence Day. 40,000 bioplastic bags are being distributed across 25 trains from terminals in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Tripura, and West Bengal. The initiative supports NFR’s green mission with projects like electrification, solar energy, AI-based elephant protection, rainwater harvesting, bio-toilets, solid waste composting, afforestation, and green transformation of wastelands.

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Champa Raspeda from Malkangiri district, Odisha, became the first member of the Didayi tribe to clear National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2025. The Didayi tribe is one of 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha. They belong to the Proto-Australoid racial stock and speak a language of the Austroasiatic family. Their society is patriarchal and follows animism with reverence for nature. They live in remote forest villages of the Eastern Ghats with thatched mud houses.

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The Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, has launched a new module on the UMEED Portal to strengthen inclusive welfare. The module enables widows, divorced women, and orphans to apply for maintenance support from Waqf-alal-aulad properties under Rule 8(2) of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025. UMEED Portal is a centralized platform to register and manage Waqf properties nationwide. The initiative promotes digital, people-centric Waqf administration and welfare for women and children in minority communities. The module supports the charitable objectives of Waqf endowments while modernizing governance and financial delivery.

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Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) has launched Operation SWARNA (Swarnamukhi Waterbody Action for River and Nala Awareness). The plan aims to rescue Swarnamukhi River from land grabbers, revive its flow area and rejuvenate it for long-term sustenance. Swarnamukhi River is an east-flowing river in Andhra Pradesh with a catchment area of 3,225 sq.km. It originates near Pakala village, Chittoor district at 300 m elevation in the Eastern Ghats. The river runs 130 km northeast, passing through Tirupati hills before joining the Bay of Bengal. Swarnamukhi is an independent river system, relying mainly on rainfall in its upper catchment for flow.

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Five persons were injured in a recent landslide at the Rattle Hydroelectric Project in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir. It is an 850 MW run-of-river hydroelectric power plant on the Chenab River. The project is developed by Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation (RHPCL), a joint venture of Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) holds 51% and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) holds 49% equity.

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A Raipur prison now looks like a school classroom during yoga and Sudarshan Kriya practice. Chhattisgarh government has introduced yoga and Sudarshan Kriya in all district jails with Art of Living Foundation support. Trainers teach inmates yoga, meditation, and Sudarshan Kriya under the “Prison Course” for mental peace and strength. The Chhattisgarh government wants prisons to become reform and rehabilitation centres. The initiative improved routine, reduced fights, stress, and indiscipline among inmates. In Maoist-affected districts like Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, and Sukma, the programme transformed violent inmates into yoga practitioners.

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ACME Group and Japan’s IHI Corporation announced a joint venture to set up India’s largest green ammonia project in Gopalpur, Odisha. The plant will produce 0.4 million tonnes of green ammonia annually mainly for Japanese power and chemical sectors. It will help cut 0.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year and support India’s Green Hydrogen Mission. The project is targeted for commissioning by 2029-30 with focus on exports to Japan. It aligns with the 15th Japan–India Annual Summit 2025 Joint Declaration on Clean Hydrogen and Ammonia. The project will boost Odisha’s green energy hub status, create jobs, and strengthen India-Japan clean energy partnership.

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Recently, Ho tribe adivasis staged a protest in West Singhbhum district, Jharkhand against administration interference in their Manki-Munda system. The Ho or Kolha people are an Austroasiatic Munda ethnic group of India. They call themselves Ho, Hodoko, and Horo, meaning human in their language. They are mainly found in the Kolhan region of Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar. In the Manki-Munda system, the Munda (village head) resolves socio-political disputes at the village level. Each village had one hereditary Munda. A Manki headed a pidh of 8–15 villages and handled unresolved cases. Manki and Munda had no role in land or revenue matters. It was a purely internal self-governing system, with no taxation or external sovereign control.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for unemployed graduates aged 20–25 years. The scheme is part of the Chief Minister’s Self-Help Allowance Scheme under the state’s 7 Nischay programme. Earlier, it covered only intermediate pass candidates, now extended to graduates for up to two years. The objective of initiative is to help youth pursue skill training and prepare for competitive exams.

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Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Native Food Matters initiative at Govardhan Eco Village in Palghar, Maharashtra. He highlighted e-waste as a major challenge and praised the Eco Village for saving energy, conserving water, and promoting sustainable living. The initiative focuses on reviving traditional grains like millets for better health and environmental benefits. Awareness drives include Meri Maati Meri Thaali and Poshan Sakha-Sakhi to spread the message. As a pilot, local food varieties are being documented, seasonal vegetables mapped, and a special Palghar Thali introduced at the community café.