India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Arunachal Pradesh government has allocated Rs 269.97 crore for the Etalin Hydroelectric Project in Dibang Valley. Etalin Hydroelectric Project is a 3,097 Megawatt (MW) hydropower project planned in Arunachal Pradesh. It is among the largest proposed hydropower projects in India in terms of installed capacity. The project includes two run-of-the-river schemes on the Dri and Tangon rivers, which are tributaries of the Dibang River. Two concrete gravity dams of 101.5 metres and 80 metres height are planned under this project. The project lies in a highly rich biodiversity zone of the Himalayan region and is a global mega biodiversity hotspot. The area is home to the Idu-Mishmi tribal community.

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Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways called the breakthrough in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel a historic milestone. The tunnel is a 531-kilometre long, two-lane bi-directional tunnel with an escape passage. It is located on the Dharasu-Yamunotri section in Uttarakhand, connecting Silkyara and Barkot. The tunnel is part of National Highway-134 (NH-134), earlier known as NH-94. It is being built under the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode.

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Bodofa Upendranath Brahma was a respected leader of the Bodo community who championed non-violent struggle for tribal identity, rights and cultural preservation. On May 1, 2025, the Government of India (GoI) unveiled his 9-feet-high statue in New Delhi, marking his 35th death anniversary. Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah presided over the unveiling and announced the naming of a major road and rotary after him. This tribute underscores the Government of India’s commitment to tribal empowerment and peacebuilding in India’s North East.

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Recently in Patna, the Union Minister urged youth to actively join the Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) portal to support nation-building efforts. Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was launched on October 31, 2023, marking the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It aims to promote youth-led change and prepare young citizens for Amrit Kaal and Viksit Bharat by 2047. The platform offers equal access to volunteering, learning, and mentorship opportunities. It helps youth build digital profiles to match their skills and interests with projects. Through experiential learning, youth work on real projects with NGOs, local bodies, and businesses.

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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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Amid rising tensions along the western front due to escalations from Pakistan, the Border Security Force (BSF) has stood firm as India’s first and sharpest line of defence. The Border Security Force (BSF) is India’s main border-guarding force, known as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories. BSF is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces (CSPFs) and functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was formed on 1 December 1965 after the 1965 War to secure India’s borders. BSF protects land borders during peacetime and stops transnational crimes like smuggling and infiltration. In wartime, it supports the Indian Army using its deep knowledge of local people and terrain. BSF is currently deployed along the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders, the Line of Control (LoC), and in Anti-Naxal Operations.

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In Tamil Nadu’s Kunnapattu, many Irula families face eviction and lack legal ownership of the land they have lived on for generations. The Irula live mainly in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats, across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Irula are one of India’s oldest indigenous communities and the second largest Adivasi group in Tamil Nadu. They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the state due to their socio-economic challenges. They speak the Irula language, which is related to Tamil and Kannada, both Dravidian languages. They follow pantheism and believe in spirits in people and objects, worshipping a virgin goddess named Kanniamma, who is linked to the cobra.

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Raja Khas village in Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh, has been declared the state’s first solar model village under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. All public institutions like schools, panchayat office, health centres, anganwadis, and community halls have been solarized. It promotes clean energy, rural self-reliance, and serves as a model for green transition in hilly areas.

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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 Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has recently given its “in-principle” approval to the Etalin Hydropower Project in Arunachal Pradesh. The project is located in Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, which is part of the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots. The Etalin project will involve construction of two gravity dams – one on the Dri River and the other on the Talo (also known as Tangon) River. The total power generation capacity of the project is 3,097 Megawatts (MW).