India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh released a Rs 100 commemorative coin for Kalaignar M Karunanidhi’s birth centenary in Chennai on August 18, 2024. Karunanidhi, a key figure in the Dravidian movement and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for nearly two decades, passed away on August 7, 2018. Known as Kalaignar (“the artist”), he led the DMK party, which remains influential under his son, Stalin. Commemorative coins celebrate events or notable individuals and often feature special designs. These coins are usually minted in limited quantities and held by the Reserve Bank of India as collectibles.

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Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the ‘National Conclave: Sangathan Swasthya Samriddhi’ in New Delhi. The event focuses on women’s roles in food, nutrition, health, and WASH. Health and nutrition are highlighted as essential for the nation’s development, with women playing a key role. Self-help groups are recognized as important for the country’s progress. Discussions emphasized the need for better basic health facilities and the idea that a healthy population leads to national growth. Women, including self-help groups from across the country, are attending the conclave.

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The Union Cabinet approved the BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy to boost biotechnology for the economy, environment, and employment. It is managed by the Department of Biotechnology, it focuses on high-performance biomanufacturing. It aims to produce a wide range of bio-based products, from medicines to materials. It addresses challenges in farming and food through advanced biotechnological processes. It encourages innovation by supporting research, development, and entrepreneurship. Plans to establish biomanufacturing and bio-AI hubs and biofoundries for faster tech development and commercialization. It promotes sustainable growth through regenerative bioeconomy models. It aims to expand India’s skilled workforce and create more job opportunities.

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A 100-metre steel bridge was inaugurated in Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. Constructed by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC) and made in Japan, this bridge is a key milestone. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will greatly cut travel time between the two cities. This development represents a major leap forward for India’s high-speed rail infrastructure and transportation sector.

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Gwalior hosted the third Regional Industry Conclave on August 28, 2024, to attract investments to Madhya Pradesh. The city’s strategic location at the intersection of three major national corridors—the North-South Corridor, the Agra-Mumbai Highway, and the East-West Corridor—made it an ideal venue. This positioning aimed to enhance the conclave’s success and positively impact the region’s industrial growth.

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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the India Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (I-GEIC) as part of the Graphene Aurora program (GAP) in Kerala. The GAP is managed by Digital University Kerala.
The IGEIC is a non-profit organization based in Trivandrum, Kerala. Its goal is to become a leading center for the commercialization of graphene technology. The IGEIC aims to bridge the gap between research and commercialization by offering comprehensive facilities for startups and industries. Previously, MeitY had established India’s first graphene center, the India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG), in Kerala.

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The Ministry of Labor and Employment has approved the Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS) for the Employees’ Pension Scheme. CPPS will create a national system allowing pensioners to receive their pensions from any bank branch across India. Currently, the pension system is decentralized, with each regional EPFO office working with only a few banks. CPPS will be launched as part of EPFO’s Centralized IT Enabled System (CITES 2.01) on January 1, 2025. In the future, CPPS will support a transition to an Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS).

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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Sootea Police Station in Biswanath District. He paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1942 Quit India Movement. He announced that August 20 will be celebrated as Sootea Day. Sarma revealed plans to build a heritage monument at the site. Rs 5 crores have been allocated for this project.

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The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) inaugurated a Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) in New Delhi on September 10, 2024. The clinic is a collaboration between the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and the institute’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical, and Sleep Medicine. The clinic’s goal is to help people who are struggling with tobacco addiction. Tobacco use is a major public health issue in India, which is the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of tobacco. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS-2), 28.6% of Indian adults aged 15 and above use tobacco in some form.

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On 11 September 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It is implemented by Ministry of Rural Development. The PMGSY was launched on 25 December 2000 to connect rural areas with all-weather roads to reduce poverty. PMGSY-IV will run for five years (2024-2029) with a total cost of Rs 70,125 crore, shared by the central and state governments. The target is to build and upgrade 62,500 km of roads to connect 25,000 unconnected villages. Previous phases focused on upgrading rural roads to improve access to markets, schools, and hospitals.