India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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As of March 2025, over 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) in India have become service-ready under the BharatNet project. BharatNet was launched by the Government of India in October 2011 under the Ministry of Communications. The project aims to provide affordable, high-speed internet access to every Gram Panchayat across the country. BharatNet is the world’s largest rural broadband connectivity initiative. The initiative is crucial for bridging the digital divide and enhancing access to online services in rural areas.

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The Government of Andhra Pradesh is setting up India’s first Quantum Computing Village in Amaravati to boost research and innovation. This project is supported by the Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) and will cover 50 acres of land. It aims to build a strong ecosystem for quantum research, industry collaboration, and technology development. The village will include an Iconic Building designed by IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) with advanced quantum systems and a powerful data centre.

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The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has been ranked as the best university in India in the Times Higher Education’s Asia University Rankings 2025. IISc Bengaluru secured the 38th position in Asia with a score of 65.2, though its rank dropped from 32 in 2024. Tsinghua University of China topped the list in Asia with a score of 93 and held the same top spot last year. The Asia University Rankings 2025 assessed 853 universities from 35 countries and regions. Rankings were based on 18 indicators, including Research Quality, Industry, Research Environment, Teaching, and International Outlook.

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The government recently authorised the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to share and receive information with the Enforcement Directorate under the anti-money laundering law to better detect money trails and combat cyber frauds. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is established under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as the national nodal agency to fight cybercrime. It provides a framework and ecosystem for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to handle cybercrimes in a coordinated and comprehensive way. It connects academia, industry, public, and government for prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes. The headquarters of I4C is located in New Delhi.

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The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare recently released guidelines for establishing Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) to promote natural farming under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) are cluster-level enterprises that provide farmers with locally prepared natural farming inputs like bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and organic formulations. BRCs also serve as knowledge hubs to train and support farmers who are transitioning to natural farming practices. The initiative was launched under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). The objectives of BRCs include ensuring easy access to quality bio-inputs, offering technical support on natural farming methods, and promoting the adoption of natural farming across rural areas.

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Years of efforts by Jharkhand forest officials have succeeded with Jaigir becoming the first village to be fully relocated outside the core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR). Palamu Tiger Reserve is located in the western part of the Chotanagpur plateau and spreads across Latehar and Garhwa districts in Jharkhand. It covers a total area of 1,014 square kilometers, with 414 square kilometers as core and 600 square kilometers as buffer. It was among the first nine reserves established under ‘Project Tiger’, a conservation program launched in 1973 by the Government of India.

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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.

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Recently, Delhi Police launched a community outreach initiative called ‘Nayi Disha – A Path Back to Learning’ to bring out-of-school children back into education. Police officers are visiting homes of school dropouts to understand why they left school and to motivate them to return. The initiative reflects Delhi Police’s focus on mentorship and building trust, beyond traditional law enforcement. Officers are working with schools, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and social workers to provide help such as admissions, counselling, and academic support. Many students have already returned to school, and the initiative will now expand to other districts based on its success.

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Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government announced property tax exemption for houses of Indian Defence Forces personnel within Gram Panchayat limits. This benefit now includes all active personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Paramilitary, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), not just retirees or those posted at borders. The exemption applies to one house that the personnel or their spouse own or reside in. This move was recommended by the Director of Sainik Welfare. It honours the sacrifices of soldiers like Agniveer Murali Naik, who died during Operation Sindoor at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

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The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) recently installed India’s longest rail flyover girder at Kalamboli, Maharashtra under the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The WDFC is a 1,500-kilometre project to modernise India’s freight transport system. It was installed 34 metres across live railway tracks without disrupting Indian Railways operations, using advanced heavy-lifting machines. This first-of-its-kind feat shows India’s growing technical strength in railway infrastructure. The flyover will boost cargo flow between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Maharashtra’s industrial hubs. It will reduce transit time, improve logistics efficiency, and shift cargo from road to rail, which is cleaner and energy-efficient.