India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Ministry of Home Affairs introduced two special visas: ‘e-student visa’ and ‘e-student-x visa’ for international students. The ‘e-student visa’ is for foreign nationals admitted to full-time programs in India, while the ‘e-student-x visa’ is for their dependents. Both visas are available for students registered on the Study in India (SII) portal and are valid for up to five years. The SII portal offers access to over 600 institutions and 8,000 courses across various disciplines, supporting higher education in India.

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The United States opened its fifth consulate in India in Bengaluru, joining Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. The consulate aims to strengthen US-India ties, especially with Karnataka’s thriving IT and business ecosystem. The consulate will reduce dependency on Chennai for visa services, benefiting Karnataka residents and businesses.

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For the first time, a tri-services tableau will feature at the 76th Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2025. The tableau’s theme is “Shashakt aur Surakshit Bharat” (Empowered and Secure India), showcasing joint operations between the Army, Navy, and Air Force. It will highlight key defence platforms like Arjun Tank, Tejas MKII, Advanced Light Helicopter, INS Visakhapatnam, and a Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The tableau reflects India’s aim for ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence.

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India celebrated its 76th Republic Day with a colorful parade in New Delhi, showcasing military strength, with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto as the guest of honor. Indonesia was also India’s chief guest on its first Republic Day in 1950. India and Indonesia signed pacts on maritime security, health, traditional medicine, and are working on a defense cooperation framework. This includes technology sharing for surface-to-surface missiles, air defense systems, and submarine construction. India welcomed Indonesia’s decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure early.

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Karnataka Cabinet has approved the Greater Bengaluru Integrated Satellite Township, covering 8,032 acres between Bidadi and Harohalli. The project aims to decongest Bengaluru and will span 10 villages in Ramanagara district. Satellite towns, including Devanahalli and Magadi, will be developed with improved road and rail connectivity. The vision includes reducing urban congestion, creating jobs, and building sustainable infrastructure. A committee will oversee implementation, with a global tender for designing the township based on the “work-live-play” concept. The Greater Bangalore Development Authority will manage all development activities in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region.

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Haryana government launched the ‘Har Khet-Swasth Khet’ campaign to collect soil samples from every acre and provide soil health cards to farmers. Around 70 lakh soil samples have been collected, and 55 lakh have been analyzed, with soil cards distributed. More than 86 lakh soil health cards have been issued so far. Haryana received a gold medal from the Skoch Group for the Soil Health Card Project in 2022.

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Karnataka’s property registration portal, Kaveri 2.0, faced severe disruptions due to a DDoS attack. A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack floods a server or network with excessive traffic, causing service failures. The attack uses a botnet—a network of compromised devices—to overload the target system.

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The Pratibimb Module has led to 6,046 arrests, 17,185 linkages, and 36,296 cyber investigation requests. It is a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based software launched by the Union Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It helps law enforcement map cybercriminals in real time and dismantle their networks. The software tracks mobile numbers used in cybercrimes and projects them on a GIS map. It enables law enforcement agencies and service providers to locate criminal activities through mobile data.

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The Union Minister of Science and Technology laid the foundation stone for the North East Center for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) permanent campus in Mawdiangdiang, Shillong. NECTAR is an autonomous society under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, headquartered in Shillong, Meghalaya. It focuses on using advanced technologies for biodiversity, watershed management, telemedicine, horticulture, infrastructure, planning, tele-schooling via MESHNET, and employment generation through local resources and skill development.

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Climate change threatens the Blue Economy, affecting fishermen and coastal communities. The government will develop 100 Climate Resilient Coastal Fishermen Villages (CRCFV) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The initiative includes fish drying yards, processing centers, fishing jetties, cold storage, and emergency rescue operations.