India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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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.

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Mock drills were recently held in states and Union Territories near India’s western border under Operation SHIELD. The main goal is to check and improve India’s readiness against external threats. The drills simulate emergencies like enemy air raids, drone attacks, missile strikes, and mass evacuations. It includes silent and general recall of civil defence volunteers to test quick response. This helps authorities prepare better for real security situations along the border.

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Assam and Meghalaya governments have agreed to build a 55 Megawatt (MW) hydropower project on the Kulsi River, which is home to the endangered Gangetic Dolphin. The Kulsi River flows through Meghalaya and Assam. Kulsi River originates in Meghalaya and flows around 60 km through West Khasi Hills into Kamrup district of Assam before joining the Brahmaputra River. It is a small, shallow river around 70–80 meters wide and known for its rich biodiversity.

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The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has digitised the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) to ensure quick, transparent, and efficient financial aid to poor families. The scheme offers ₹30,000 to the dependent of a deceased earning head, if the family’s annual income is below ₹56,460 in urban areas and ₹46,080 in rural areas. Funds are transferred through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to Aadhaar-linked accounts.

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Recently, Rajkot transformed Nakrawadi, a 20-acre old dumpsite with 16 lakh tonnes of legacy waste, into a green urban forest. This was done under the “Lakshya Zero Dumpsite” initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The initiative aims to clear old waste sites and create “Garbage Free Cities”. The Rajkot model planted 2.35 lakh native and fast-growing trees using the Miyawaki technique.

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Recently, Italian luxury brand Prada admitted its Men’s Spring/Summer 2026 sandals were inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear after criticism about copying India’s Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Kolhapuri chappals. Kolhapuri chappals originated from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and have been made since the 13th century. They are handmade leather sandals known for their intricate designs and open-toed T-strap style. They use 100% leather from cow, buffalo, or goat.

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With the monsoon season starting, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) launched the ‘Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao’ (SABB) campaign from 1 to 31 July 2025. The campaign aims to reduce health risks from water-borne and vector-borne diseases by promoting hygiene and clean surroundings. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will focus on drain cleaning, garbage hotspot reduction, and awareness drives. It partners with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and other ministries to strengthen public health.

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Recently, Lucknow became Uttar Pradesh’s first “Zero Dump City” with all three units of the Shivri waste treatment plant fully operational. The plant now processes 2100 metric tons of waste daily and has cleared two-thirds of the old waste mound. A ₹96 crore project began in 2023 under Swachh Bharat Mission by Lucknow Municipal Corporation. Pune-based Bhumi Green Energy took over in January 2024, using microbial culture and air drying methods. Each unit handles 700 metric tons per day. Waste is separated into fine soil for farming, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) for cement and paper industries, coarse materials for land reclamation, and construction debris for infrastructure.

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In July 2025, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) released the 35th monthly report of the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for June 2025. CPGRAMS is an online platform for registering and resolving public grievances across States and Union Territories (UTs). A total of 63,135 grievances were redressed by States/UTs during June 2025. 58,502 new users registered on CPGRAMS in June 2025, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest registrations at 9,589. Uttar Pradesh received the highest number of grievances at 28,497 and also disposed the highest at 25,870, followed by Gujarat with 3,986.

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The Bihar government has recently launched the ‘Bihar Idea Festival’ portal to promote grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship. The portal allows students, youth, entrepreneurs, and startup teams, even from rural areas, to submit their ideas directly to the government. The portal is mobile-friendly, making it accessible to people from remote areas. The initiative aims to collect 10,000 ideas from all 38 districts of Bihar for inclusive participation.