India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
Telangana government launched the Bhu Bharati portal to make land record management simple, transparent, and accessible. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched it on 14th April 2025, marking Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s 135th birth anniversary. The portal replaces the Dharani portal, introduced by the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government on 2nd November 2020 for agricultural land registration. Bhu Bharati was launched at Shilpa Kala Vedika in Hyderabad. It began as a pilot in four mandals – Khammam, Mulugu, Kodangal, and Kamareddy. The portal is based on the Telangana Bhu Bharathi (Record of Rights in Land) Act, 2025.

Notes:
South India’s first Air-Conditioned Electric Multiple Unit (AC EMU) train has started operations on the Chennai Beach-Chengalpattu corridor. This marks a major milestone for Chennai’s suburban rail network, which is a key transport system for the city and nearby areas. The service is operated by the Chennai division of Southern Railway. It is the first AC EMU service in southern India, according to officials. The train has advanced features like automatic doors and a passenger information system, offering a more comfortable and modern travel experience.

Notes:
The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has reported major damage to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) barrages after the 2023 floods. NDSA is India’s national safety regulator for large dams and was established under the National Dam Safety Act, 2021. KLIP is a multi-purpose irrigation project built on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Telangana. The Godavari River, also called Dakshin Ganga, is the largest river in Peninsular India and originates from the Western Ghats in Nasik, Maharashtra. KLIP is set to become the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, using pumps to lift water to high points for irrigation.

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:
The Indian Security Forces have launched Operation Shiva to secure the Amarnath Yatra amid the Pahalgam terror attack and rising tensions between India and Pakistan. Shri Amarnath Ji is located in the Anantnag district at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The Amarnath Cave houses an ice lingam, symbolizing Lord Shiva, along with two smaller ice stalagmites representing Parvati, his wife, and Ganesha, his son. The pilgrimage takes place during the Shravan month, when the lingam reaches its full size. The origin of the pilgrimage is mentioned in the Sanskrit text “Bringesha Samhita.”

Notes:
The Dongria Kondh tribe of Odisha was recently highlighted for showcasing their vibrant identity and cultural resilience during a festival near the Niyamgiri Hills. They are an indigenous community classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). The Dongria Kondh are known for their environmental stewardship and strong resistance against bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills. They live in scattered hamlets within the Niyamgiri hill range, located across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in southwestern Odisha. These hills are ecologically rich and hold spiritual significance, being the home of their revered deity, Niyam Raja.

Notes:
A wild banana species called Musa indandamanensis from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recently set a world record with the longest banana infructescence measuring 4.2 metres. An infructescence is the full fruiting part of a plant. This wild species is endemic to the Nicobar group, especially found in Campbell Bay. The tree grows about 11 metres tall with a stem girth of around 110 centimetres. Earlier, the longest known banana infructescence was only 3 metres. The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is preserved in the Indian Museum, Kolkata, and botanical centres like A.J.C. Bose Indian Botanic Garden. It holds potential for future disease-resistant and high-yield banana varieties.

Notes:
On the occasion of Buddha Purnima, contestants of Miss World 2025 from 22 countries visited Buddhavanam, a major Buddhist theme park. Buddhavanam is located on the northern bank of the Krishna River in Telangana, India. It was sanctioned by the Government of India as part of the integrated Buddhist Circuit to boost tourism, especially from Southeast Asia. The park covers an area of 279 acres. It is designed to showcase the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha through various themed sections.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Mizoram has officially been declared a fully literate state by Chief Minister Lalduhoma during a special ceremony at Mizoram University in Aizawl. This makes Mizoram the first state in India to achieve full functional literacy, defined by the Ministry of Education as having a literacy rate above 95%. A door-to-door survey by Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs) in August–September 2023 identified 3,026 non-literate persons, with 1,692 actively participating in learning. The PFLS (Performance of the Foundational Literacy Survey) 2023–24 recorded Mizoram’s literacy rate at 98.20%, confirming the success. In June 2024, Ladakh became the first fully literate administrative unit, and now Mizoram has become the first fully literate Indian state.