India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Varanasi marked his first since assuming office for the third time. He inaugurated the Kashi Vishwanath Temple corridor’s first phase, linking it to the Ganga River banks, highlighting India’s Sanatan culture. PM Modi praised Varanasi’s historical resilience and cultural richness. He offered prayers at Kaal Bhairav Temple and witnessed Ganga Aarti, underscoring the visit’s cultural and historical significance, celebrating Varanasi’s spirit and iconic temple.

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The Karnataka government approved the Centre’s proposal to revive gold mining at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF). Located 100 km from Bangalore in Kolar district, KGF mines are among the world’s deepest, operated by Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML), a public sector undertaking established in 1972. Mining here is costly due to the depth of the ore.

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Telugu Desam Party’s Narsipatnam MLA, C. Ayyanna Patrudu, was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 16th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on June 22, 2024. His election was unopposed as no other MLA filed a nomination for the Speaker’s post.

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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is testing eSakshya, a mobile app developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It aids police in recording crime scenes and uploading evidence to a cloud-based platform. Each recording can be up to four minutes long, with multiple files per First Information Report (FIR). The app aims to ensure digital evidence integrity, crucial for new criminal laws to prevent potential legal loopholes.

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma introduced the state’s inaugural Witness Protection Scheme to bolster the justice delivery system. The scheme, aligned with Section 398 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, aims to safeguard witnesses facing threats during investigations and trials. Witnesses can apply for protection under the scheme through a prescribed form before a competent authority, ensuring fair trials and security against intimidation.

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Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Chief Ministers signed an MoU for the Rs 72,000 crore Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project in Bhopal. This initiative aims to transfer surplus water from Southern Rajasthan’s rivers to water-scarce districts in southeastern Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh. It will irrigate 2.8 lakh hectares and benefit 13 districts in Rajasthan, along with Malwa and Chambal regions in Madhya Pradesh, fostering interstate cooperation and developmental corridors between religious sites.

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Justice Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi recently took oath as the 15th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi, in the presence of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, judges, and senior officials. The appointment process for High Court judges involves consultation between the President, Chief Justice of India (CJI), and the State Governor, as per Article 217 of the Constitution.

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The first phase of Adani Group’s Vizhinjam Port, India’s first exclusive trans-shipment port near Kovalam beach, Kerala, is complete. It will receive its first mothership on July 12, marking a major milestone. The port, managed by Divya S. Iyer, is expected to commence full commercial operations by year-end. It will also be India’s first semi-automated container terminal and a global bunkering hub for green fuels like hydrogen and ammonia. With an 18-meter natural draft, it can accommodate large container ships and is strategically located 10 nautical miles from the international shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Far East. The project is developed in a public-private partnership by Adani Vizhinjam Ports Private Ltd.

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India’s ambitious Vadhavan Port project, located on the Maharashtra coast near Gujarat, aims to become one of the world’s top 10 container ports. With a projected cost of Rs 76,220 crore, it will handle 298 MMT annually and 23.2 million TEUs, starting with 15 million TEUs in Phase 1. Featuring nine container terminals, specialized berths, rail connectivity, and onshore facilities, it will significantly expand India’s maritime capacity by reclaiming 1,448 hectares of sea land, set for completion by 2030.

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The National Commission for Minorities held a video conference to discuss the implementation of the Anand Marriage Act, which recognizes Sikh marriage rituals. States like Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Meghalaya reported its implementation, while others assured to do so within two months. Originating in 1909 and amended in 2012, the Act allows Sikhs to register marriages outside the Hindu Marriage Act. Recently, Jammu and Kashmir framed rules for Anand marriage registration.