India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced that May 5 will officially be declared as Traders’ Day in the state. This aligns with the day already observed by Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations annually. The announcement was made at the 42nd annual meeting of the Traders’ Association in Maduranthakam.

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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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Recently, Indian Army Engineers under the Spear Corps joined hands with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to conduct a major disaster relief exercise named Exercise Raahat at Rangapahar Military Station in Nagaland from May 13 to 15. The aim was to improve readiness and coordination ahead of the monsoon season. The first two days focused on planning, war-gaming, and case study discussions for better disaster response strategies. On the final day, both Army and NDRF teams demonstrated rescue and medical operations using advanced equipment.

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The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) recently demolished 36 illegal bungalows from the River Villa project that were built within the blue flood line of the Indrayani River in Chikhali. The Indrayani River is a rain-fed river located in Maharashtra and is a tributary of the Bhima River, which further joins the Krishna River. It originates from the Western Ghats near Lonavala and flows through Pune district before merging with the Bhima River at Tulapur. The river is 103.5 kilometres long and holds religious importance as the towns of Dehu and Alandi lie on its banks. Dehu is the birthplace of poet-saint Tukaram, and Alandi is where saint Dnyaneshwar’s samadhi is located. The Indrayani River also flows through Pimpri-Chinchwad and supports local agriculture through irrigation.

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On May 28, 2025, the Andhra Pradesh government proposed converting Kondakarla Aava, a key freshwater lake, into a Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. This decision aims to balance environmental protection with local economic needs through coordinated planning. The irrigation department was directed to conduct a boundary survey and strengthen bunds to avoid overflow and ecological damage. Kondakarla Ava lake is located in Anakapalli District, Andhra Pradesh.

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Hyderabad teenager Vishwanath Karthikey Padakanti recently became the youngest Indian and the second youngest person in the world to complete the Seven Summits Challenge. The Seven Summits Challenge involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. It was first proposed and completed by Richard Bass in 1985. The peaks include Mount Everest in Asia, Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Elbrus in Europe, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, and either Kosciuszko in Australia or Puncak Jaya in Oceania.

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India’s first Variable Speed Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) has started commercial operations at Tehri in Uttarakhand. It includes a 250 megawatt (MW) unit as part of a larger 1,000 MW hydropower project. The plant stores energy by using surplus electricity to pump water to an upper reservoir, and later releases it to generate power during high demand. This project was executed by THDC India Limited (THDCIL), a public sector company under the Ministry of Power. It is located in Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.

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The Union Education Minister launched the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ campaign by planting a sapling in New Delhi to promote environmental awareness on World Environment Day. A special module and website were also launched, along with a web portal to monitor eco club activities under Mission Lifestyle for Environment (Mission LiFE). The importance of trees in sustaining life was emphasized, linking the campaign to environmental and health benefits. The campaign called for reducing plastic use and adopting sustainable development practices to protect the environment.

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Indian Railways has started building the first dedicated maintenance depot for Vande Bharat Express trains at Bhagat Ki Kothi in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. This is the first of five such depots planned across India to support the country’s fastest trains. The depot will maintain Vande Bharat trains from different regions of India. It will be 600 meters long and include three pit lines to service three trains at the same time. The project is led by Jodhpur Railway Division and is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

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Recently, Andhra Pradesh achieved global recognition for organising a unique “Floating Yoga” event on the Krishna River in Vijayawada as part of the YogAndhra 2025 campaign. The event was held on 11th June ahead of International Yoga Day and featured over a thousand yoga practitioners. Participants performed yoga asanas on 200 water crafts including kayaks, jet skis, punts, sand boats, and floating platforms. This innovative event showcased the state’s creative approach to promoting health, cultural pride, and community participation.