India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 800 megawatt (MW) 3rd unit of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant in Yamunanagar, Haryana on 14 April 2025. The new unit is an ultra-supercritical thermal plant, which uses less coal and produces lower carbon emissions compared to older plants. Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant is located in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana. It is named after Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram, a prominent freedom fighter and social reformer. It is operated by Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL), a government-owned company.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched Operation Chakra-V to tackle transnational organized cybercrime and digital arrest scams. This is a follow-up to Operation Chakra-IV, which targeted cyber-enabled financial crime networks through a globally coordinated law enforcement effort using INTERPOL (International Criminal Police Organization) channels. A digital arrest is a type of cybercrime where fraudsters pose as law enforcement officials through audio or video calls. They scare victims by claiming they are involved in crimes and demand personal information or money as bail or bribe. This operation aims to stop such international cyber scams effectively.

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Telangana launched T-SHIELD (Telangana – Security Hub for Innovation in Enforcement and Lawful Digital Defense), the state’s first cybersecurity hardware lab. The lab is located at the Police Training College (PTC), Medchal. It was developed by Skillvedha Innovations Private Limited to provide real-time cyber defense training, hardware forensics, and digital crime simulations. T-SHIELD is one of the few labs in India focusing on hardware-level cybersecurity for law enforcement. The lab will offer Faculty Development Programs (FDPs), workshops, hackathons, and advanced training. It aims to promote innovation and readiness in tackling cybercrime through proactive, tech-driven policing.

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The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) plans to generate power from the 2000 megawatt Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (LSHP), raising concerns about its impact downstream in Assam. The LSHP is a run-of-the-river project built on the Subansiri River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, at the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. It features a 116-meter-high concrete gravity dam from the riverbed and 130 meters from the foundation, with a length of 284 meters. The reservoir has a total storage capacity of 1.37 cubic kilometers. The powerhouse has eight surface-mounted 250 megawatt Francis turbines on the river’s left bank.

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The Maharashtra government has launched the Pink E Rickshaw Scheme to empower women and make them financially independent. It was officially launched by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on April 21, 2025, in Pune, where electric three-wheelers were distributed to selected women. The scheme is administered by the Women and Child Development Department of Maharashtra. Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Limited is the official partner and will supply the electric three-wheelers. A total of 10,000 e-rickshaws will be given in eight districts, including Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Amravati, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Women aged between 20 and 50 years who are widows, divorcees, or from economically weaker sections will get preference under this scheme.

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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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Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai has been appointed as the 52nd Chief Justice of India (CJI) and will take charge on May 14, 2025, succeeding Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The appointment of the Chief Justice of India is guided by Article 124(2) of the Constitution, which empowers the President of India to appoint the CJI. Article 126 allows for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice if needed.

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Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai during the WAVES 2025 event. IICT is a national-level institute focused on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC). It has already started functioning from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) building on Pedder Road, Mumbai. It is established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with support from FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and CII (Confederation of Indian Industry).

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The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recently developed two genome-edited rice varieties, marking a major advancement in Indian agricultural science. ICAR is an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It was founded on 16 July 1929, initially as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, following recommendations from the Royal Commission on Agriculture. ICAR’s headquarters is in New Delhi, and it coordinates research in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and animal sciences across India.

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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.