India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd to set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). This is the fifth semiconductor unit approved under ISM. ISM is a specialized division within the Digital India Corporation. It aims to make India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design by building a strong semiconductor and display ecosystem. ISM has full administrative and financial powers and an advisory board of global semiconductor experts. Launched in 2021, ISM operates under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) with a budget of ₹76,000 crores. ISM supports semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, and design initiatives.

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The three-day Armed Forces Festival began at Surya Khel Parisar in Lucknow Cantonment with much enthusiasm. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the festival. He praised the Indian Armed Forces as unparalleled globally, recognized even by India’s enemies. He highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s leading role in national defense efforts. The Defense Corridor in Uttar Pradesh provides significant employment opportunities for youth. Over 8,000 people attended the festival, enjoying a display of the latest military equipment. The exhibition showcased tanks, helicopters, artillery guns, and more, highlighting India’s technological advancements. The T-90 tank was a notable exhibit.

Notes:
India’s solar energy capacity has increased 32 times in the last decade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this during the first International Solar Festival in New Delhi, held via video conferencing. India is on track to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and is the first G20 nation to meet Paris Agreement goals on renewable energy. The International Solar Alliance (ISA), established in 2015, now has 100 member countries. The festival celebrates solar energy’s global impact, with technical sessions, exhibitions, and cultural performances enhancing the event.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Electronics & IT launched the 2nd Cohort of the Startup Accelerators of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth (SAMRIDH) scheme. SAMRIDH, started in August 2021, is a flagship program of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the National Policy on Software Products – 2019. The program supports 300 software startups with a ₹99 crore budget over 4 years. It helps existing and new accelerators select and scale potential IT-based startups. SAMRIDH provides startups with customer connections, investor connections, and international market access to boost growth. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, development, and growth in the tech sector.

Notes:
Home Minister Amit Shah was unanimously re-elected as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. The government aims for all government systems to operate in Indian languages by 2047. The Department of Official Language is developing software to automatically translate all languages of the Eighth Schedule. A meeting was held in New Delhi to reconstitute the committee after the formation of the new government. Amit Shah previously served as the committee’s Chairperson from 2019 to 2024.

Notes:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) inaugurated a Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) in New Delhi on September 10, 2024. The clinic is a collaboration between the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and the institute’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical, and Sleep Medicine. The clinic’s goal is to help people who are struggling with tobacco addiction. Tobacco use is a major public health issue in India, which is the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of tobacco. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS-2), 28.6% of Indian adults aged 15 and above use tobacco in some form.

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The Swachhata Hi Seva—2024 campaign ran from 17 September to 2 October 2024. The theme for 2024 was ‘Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskaar Swachhata’. The campaign aims to raise awareness and increase public participation in cleanliness activities.
It will focus on large-scale cleanliness drives targeting challenging and neglected waste areas across the nation.
It also acknowledge and honour the contributions of sanitation workers. President Droupadi Murmu attended the Safai Mitra Sammelan in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, on 19 September 2024. The Safai Mitra Sammelan was organised as part of the campaign’s fortnightly activities initiated by the Indian government.

Notes:
Farmers in Rajasthan have been uprooting fig plants after a company, Krishi Marketing Company, failed to honor contracts promising support and purchase of figs. Initially, the company encouraged farmers to cultivate figs with lucrative prospects, but after a few years, it ceased communication and stopped buying the produce. Many farmers are now pursuing legal action against the company for breach of contract, leading to significant financial losses and frustration among the agricultural community.

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Uttar Pradesh will establish three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras, and Kasganj, adding 300 MBBS seats through a public-private partnership (PPP) and the Central government’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme. This expansion is part of a broader effort to enhance medical infrastructure in the state, increasing the total number of medical colleges from 39 in 2017 to 78. Since 2017, Uttar Pradesh has experienced a 108% rise in MBBS seats and a 181% increase in postgraduate medical seats.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet approved a Rs 100 crore project to build a memorial and garden for Gond queen Rani Durgavati.
Rani Durgavati (1524–2024) was a queen of the Gond kingdom of Garha-Katanga and a descendant of the Chandela dynasty of Mahoba. She was born on October 5, 1524, in Kalinjar (Banda, U.P.), part of the Chandela dynasty.