India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Operation Kagar has successfully encircled the last remaining Naxal strongholds in the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border regions. Operation Kagar was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs to eliminate Maoist insurgents and dismantle the political ideology of Maoism. The operation combines military action, surveillance technology, and development outreach to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). The campaign has reduced Naxal-affected districts from 106 in 2015 to just 6 in 2025. In 2024, 287 Naxals were neutralized, with over 150 already in 2025.

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Recently, Jenu Kuruba families began re-occupying their ancestral homes inside Nagarhole National Park after a long wait. Jenu Kuruba is listed as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) and mainly lives in Karnataka’s Kodagu and Mysore districts. The name “Jenu Kuruba” comes from Kannada, where “jenu” means honey, reflecting their traditional work of honey collection and forest gathering. Their livelihood depends on forest and land resources, and they live in small settlements called Hadi. They follow a semi-nomadic lifestyle with a headman called Yajamana and a ritual leader called Gudda. They believe in supernatural beings and express their faith through songs and dances about farming, marriage, and myths.

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The Indian government has fast-tracked approval for the electricity transmission line of the 1,000 Megawatt (MW) Pakal Dul Hydropower Project in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakal Dul project is a 1 Gigawatt (GW) run-of-the-river Hydroelectric Project (HEP) being built on the Marusudar River, a tributary of the Chenab River. It includes a 167-metre high concrete-face rockfill dam, an underground powerhouse with four 250 MW Francis turbines, and a transformer cabin. It is expected to generate about 3,330 million units of electricity annually. The project is being constructed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPL), a joint venture of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC Limited), Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDC), and PTC India.

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The Raika tribe, also known as Rabaris, is an indigenous pastoralist community living in the arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, especially near Kumbhalgarh in Rajsamand district. They are known for their deep cultural and spiritual connection with camels, especially the Marwari breed, valued for its strength and desert survival. For the Raikas, camel herding is not just a source of income but a way of life rooted in rituals, stories, and seasonal migration. Their traditional knowledge of pasture cycles, animal care, and biodiversity has long helped sustain Rajasthan’s fragile dryland ecosystems. In recent news, their expertise is being recognized for preserving the health of arid lands through age-old grazing routes and natural veterinary practices.

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Kerala launched the ‘Vruthi’ campaign to tackle its growing waste crisis. ‘Vruthi’ means cleanliness of body and mind and aims for a garbage-free Kerala. It is part of the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ mission promoting behavioural change. The campaign focuses on mass public participation and decentralized waste management solutions. It aims for a garbage-free Kerala, promoting cleanliness of both body and mind. The ‘Clean Kerala Conclave 2025’ highlighted innovative waste management practices. The event showcased collective achievements, underscoring the power of community involvement.

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Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government announced property tax exemption for houses of Indian Defence Forces personnel within Gram Panchayat limits. This benefit now includes all active personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Paramilitary, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), not just retirees or those posted at borders. The exemption applies to one house that the personnel or their spouse own or reside in. This move was recommended by the Director of Sainik Welfare. It honours the sacrifices of soldiers like Agniveer Murali Naik, who died during Operation Sindoor at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Recently, 31 Maoists were killed in one of India’s biggest anti-Naxal operations called Operation Black Forest. It was a 21-day counterinsurgency mission in the Kurraguttalu Hills, spread across 1,200 square kilometres on the Chhattisgarh–Telangana border. The aim was to destroy Naxal bases, remove top Maoist leaders, and regain control of the area. This supports India’s goal to end Left Wing Extremism by March 31, 2026. The forces involved included the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Special Task Force (STF), and District Reserve Guard (DRG). The Karregutta Hills, key to this operation, lie between Telangana and Chhattisgarh.

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The National Commission for Women (NCW) recently launched the ‘Campus Calling’ programme to promote gender sensitivity and student safety. It aims to prevent sexual harassment and raise awareness about cybercrimes affecting students in colleges and universities. The programme is being implemented in collaboration with ‘Yuvamanthan’, a youth development platform. It plans to reach over 1,000 higher education institutions, making it one of NCW’s largest youth-focused initiatives. Each college will have two male and two female campus ambassadors to lead gender awareness efforts. These ambassadors will promote safety, equality, and respect, and drive youth participation in creating secure campuses.

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Kandha women from Odisha’s Kandhamal district are giving up the old tradition of facial tattooing, once used for protection and identity. Kandha, also known as Khond, is the largest tribal group in Odisha, living mainly in Kandhamal, Rayagada, Kalahandi, and Koraput districts. They speak Kui or Kuvi languages, which belong to the Dravidian language family. The word “Kandha” comes from the Telugu word “Konda,” meaning hill, showing their link to forest life. Sub-groups include Desia Kandha, Dongria Kandha, and Kutia Kandha, with Dongria and Kutia listed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

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Telangana has emerged as the leading state in India for recovering lost or stolen mobile devices using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal. CEIR stands for Central Equipment Identity Register and was developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications. It is a central database that stores details of all mobile phones registered in India using their unique International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) or Electronic Serial Number (ESN). IMEI is a 15-digit number linked to each handset and registered with service providers. Users can report lost phones by submitting IMEI and First Information Report (FIR) on the CEIR portal. The portal works across all network operators and helps trace blacklisted devices. It can even track phones if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is changed. This system improves phone recovery and reduces mobile theft effectively.