India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
Santhara, also known as Sallekhana, Pandit-maran, or Sakham-maran, is a Jain religious ritual in which a person voluntarily ends their life through fasting. It has been practised since the origin of Jainism and is mentioned in Jain scriptures called agams. There are two main types: Trivihar, where the person gives up food but not water, and Chauvihar, where both food and water are given up. According to Jain belief, Santhara is followed when death is near or religious duties cannot be performed due to age, illness, or extreme hardship. In 2015, Rajasthan High Court declared Santhara illegal, calling it suicide under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but this decision was later stayed by the Supreme Court (SC). The practice has recently come back into news, drawing attention to its religious, ethical, and legal aspects.

Notes:
Recently, the Karnataka government launched Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) initiative with an initial funding of ₹7,000 crore to accelerate major infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. B-SMILE is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), a government-owned company created to plan, fund, and implement large-scale urban projects. It is part of the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, aimed at unified and efficient urban development. Unlike existing civic bodies like BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), BDA (Bangalore Development Authority), and BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board), B-SMILE will work centrally across zones. It will be governed by an 11-member Board and led by a full-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. This move addresses issues like traffic congestion, overlapping authorities, and slow project execution by enabling professional, long-term planning.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched the e-Zero initiative to auto-register high-value cybercrimes. Cyber financial crimes above ₹10 lakh reported via the 1930 helpline or National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) will now be automatically converted into First Information Reports (FIRs). This system is currently launched as a pilot project in Delhi and will soon be expanded nationwide. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under MHA designed this system to speed up the crackdown on cybercriminals.

Notes:
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently launched the nationwide “Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan” to be held from May 29 to June 12, 2025. It aims to make agriculture modern and prosperous under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission for a developed India. Agriculture supports nearly half of India’s population and is key to national food security. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has a six-point strategy: increase production, reduce costs, ensure fair prices, compensate disaster losses, promote crop diversification and organic farming. India recorded its highest-ever agricultural output in 2024–25, with food grain production rising to 3309.18 lakh tonnes. The campaign seeks to make India the “Food Basket of the World” through sustainable and surplus farming.

Notes:
India’s largest Titanium and Superalloy Materials Plant was recently inaugurated in Lucknow by the Union Defence Minister and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. It is operated by Aeroalloy Technologies Limited, a subsidiary of PTC Industries Limited. The plant covers 50 acres and has an annual capacity of 6,000 tonnes, making it the world’s largest single-site titanium remelting facility. It uses advanced technologies like Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR), Electron Beam (EB), Plasma Arc Melting (PAM), and Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) to produce aerospace-grade materials. The project is part of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor, which supports self-reliant defence manufacturing in India.

Notes:
The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, will conduct the second phase of capacity-building under the NAKSHA programme starting 2nd June 2025. The NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations (NAKSHA) programme is a city survey initiative under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). It is led by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development. The programme prepares detailed maps of towns and cities to improve land records.

Notes:
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab and Anji rail bridges in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a major milestone in regional connectivity. The Chenab Rail Bridge is the world’s highest railway arch bridge. It is a steel-and-concrete engineering marvel spanning 1,315 meters across the Chenab River gorge. It is designed to withstand earthquakes and strong winds, and it will reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar to just about 3 hours. The Anji Rail Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, located in Reasi district.

Notes:
Residents of Milam village in Uttarakhand face severe access problems after an avalanche damaged the Bailey bridge over the Gaokha River. A Bailey bridge is a modular bridge with pre-built parts for quick assembly. It was invented by English civil engineer Donald Coleman Bailey in 1941. Bailey bridges are strong, portable, and versatile, designed for fast construction in tough conditions without heavy machinery.

Notes:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will soon launch the CROPIC initiative. CROPIC stands for Collection of Real Time Observations & Photo of Crops. It is launched under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The initiative uses artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to monitor crop health and stress. It aims to automate crop loss assessment and ensure faster payment of insurance claims to farmers.

Notes:
Recently, the Passport Seva Portal faced major server issues, causing disruptions at Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) across India. The Passport Seva Portal was set up by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services as a Public-Private Partnership. It helps citizens easily apply for or renew their passports from home. The portal is user-friendly and offers several passport-related services online.