India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
The women of the Lanjia Saora tribal group in Gunupur, Rayagada district, Odisha, celebrate the mango harvest with traditional dance. The Lanjia Saora are a culturally rich subgroup of the Saora tribe. The Lanjia Saora tribe is primarily found in Odisha, specifically in the forested hills of Gajapati and Rayagada districts. They speak Saora, a Mundari language of the Austroasiatic family. The Lanjia Saora perform vibrant dances with spontaneous songs, using brass pipes, cymbals, and gongs.

Notes:
The government introduced the “Depot Darpan” portal and mobile app to monitor food storage depots in real time. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution is responsible for launching the Depot Darpan portal. The initiative aims to ensure quality and safety in food grain storage for over 80 crore beneficiaries. Depot Darpan is part of a larger push for scientific warehousing and smart storage solutions. It will allow depot managers to track infrastructure, operational efficiency, and financial performance using geo-tagged data. The platform will provide automated ratings and insights for timely improvements. All data will be 100% validated by supervisory officers and random third-party audits.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin announced that May 5 will officially be declared as Traders’ Day in the state. This aligns with the day already observed by Tamil Nadu Traders’ Associations annually. The announcement was made at the 42nd annual meeting of the Traders’ Association in Maduranthakam.

Notes:
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has recently revived two rare Ayurvedic texts—Dravyaratnakara Nighantu and Dravyanamakara Nighantu. The term “Nighantu” in Ayurveda refers to a collection of drug names, their synonyms, properties, and the parts used. Dravyaratnakara Nighantu, authored by Mudgala Pandita in 1480 AD, has 18 chapters with detailed information on drug actions and medicinal uses. It draws knowledge from earlier classical texts like Dhanvantari and Raja Nighantu, and adds new substances from plants, minerals, and animals. Dravyanamakara Nighantu, attributed to Bhisma Vaidya, focuses on homonyms in drug names. It acts as an important appendix to the Dhanvantari Nighantu and helps avoid confusion in Ayurvedic drug identification.

Notes:
Recently, the Vice-President of India unveiled statues of Charaka and Sushruta at Raj Bhavan in Goa, honouring their contribution to ancient Indian medicine. Charaka, a court physician during the Kushan period, is known as the Father of Medicine in India. He compiled the Charaka Samhita, a key text of Ayurveda, which focuses on diagnosis, prevention, physiology, and internal medicine. Charaka promoted medical ethics, dietary rules, and preventive care, and his work was translated into Arabic and Latin, influencing global medicine. Sushruta, from the 7th century BCE, is known as the Father of Surgery and possibly the first documented surgeon. He authored the Sushruta Samhita, which describes 300 surgical procedures and 120 instruments. These two legends laid the foundation for Ayurveda and surgery, and their legacy continues to inspire medical science globally.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet recently approved a Space Industrial Policy to boost the space sector and attract investments. Tamil Nadu became the third Indian state after Karnataka and Gujarat to promote the space ecosystem. It already hosts key Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facilities like the ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli, which tests cryogenic and liquid engines. A second Indian spaceport is being built by ISRO at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi to increase satellite launch capacity. The state also has several startups working on reusable launch vehicles, in-space manufacturing, in-orbit refuelling, and satellite data analytics. IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) is an autonomous agency under the Department of Space to promote private participation.

Notes:
Kumbakonam betel leaf, also known as “Kumbakonam Vettrilai was recently granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Government of India. It is mainly grown in the fertile Cauvery river basin of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, which gives it a special taste and aroma. The leaves are dark to light green, heart-shaped, and have a pungent flavor. It is widely cultivated in Kumbakonam and nearby villages like Ayyampettai, Swamimalai, and Rajagiri. This betel leaf is a daily staple in South Asian homes and is used to make paan, a popular post-meal chew. The Kumbakonam betel leaf is also exported to other countries, adding to its cultural and economic value.

Notes:
The Prime Minister participated in the ‘Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan’ in Bhopal to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) ruled the Malwa region as part of the Maratha Confederacy from 1767 to 1795. She first served as regent and then as the ruler of the Holkar dynasty with capitals at Maheshwar and Indore in central India. Her reign is known as the peak period of the Holkar dynasty, bringing peace, prosperity, and cultural growth.

Notes:
Recently, Goa became India’s second fully literate state under the ULLAS – Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram (New India Literacy Programme) after Mizoram. Goa used a Whole-of-Government approach, involving departments like Panchayats, Municipal Administration, Social Welfare, Planning & Statistics, and Women & Child Development. The ULLAS scheme is a centrally sponsored programme from 2022 to 2027, aiming to educate adults aged 15 and above through five components including literacy, life skills, and vocational training.

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.