India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Recently, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti inaugurated 25 JALAJ Livelihood Centres. JALAJ is a joint initiative of the Namami Gange Mission and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). It aims to link Ganga river conservation with sustainable livelihoods in the Ganga river basin. The initiative follows a circular economy model by training local people in eco-friendly livelihood practices. It promotes community ownership of conservation with special focus on women’s participation. JALAJ creates a symbiotic relationship between rivers and local communities.

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The National Career Service (NCS) Portal is a digital platform providing career services such as job listings, job fairs, career counselling, vocational guidance, and skill development information. It is an initiative under the Ministry of Labour and Employment It aims to connect jobseekers and employers, offering decent employment opportunities and career development assistance. As of 20 January 2026, more than 2.23 crore jobseekers have been shortlisted. The portal offers online employability and digital skill enhancement programmes.

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Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durgadas Uikey informed the Lok Sabha about a proposal from the Odisha government. The proposal seeks inclusion of the Jhodia community in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list of Odisha as a synonym of Paroja at Serial Number 55. The proposal was not supported by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) and has been sent back to the State Government. The Jhodia community is an indigenous group mainly living in Rayagada and Koraput districts of Odisha. Inclusion of a community in the ST list requires a proposal from the State along with an ethnographic report.

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Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the nationwide Pulse Self-Reliance Mission in Amlaha, Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh. The launch took place at the Food Legumes Research Centre (FLRP) with participation of central and state leaders. The mission aims to make India self-reliant in pulses and a global exporter. It plans to establish 1,000 pulse processing mills across the country. The mission will strengthen research and farmer linkages to improve productivity. Self-reliance in pulses is seen as a key pillar of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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India achieved a major milestone in organ donation through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization. It works under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi. It was established under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues (Amendment) Act, 2011. It has two divisions: National Human Organ and Tissue Removal and Storage Network, and National Biomaterial Centre. It is the apex body for coordination, organ allocation, and national registry. It frames policy guidelines and protocols. It compiles and publishes national transplant data.

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Recently, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) decided to fast-track approvals of new medicines by issuing No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for laboratory testing immediately after receiving applications. CDSCO is India’s National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for drugs and medical devices under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. It works under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It is headed by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). It regulates import, manufacture, sale, and distribution of drugs and medical devices.

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Varanasi entered the Guinness World Records by planting 2,51,446 saplings in one hour at Sujabad Domari, surpassing China’s 2018 record of 1,53,981 saplings. The record was verified by Guinness World Records adjudicator Rishinath using drone surveillance and a digital counting system. Certificate presented to Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal. Plantation covered nearly 350 bighas, developed as an urban forest with coordination among the Municipal Corporation, government departments, institutions, and social organisations.

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Chhattisgarh government approved the draft Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 in a Cabinet meeting at Raipur. The Bill aims to prevent religious conversions through force, inducement, fraud, undue influence, or misrepresentation. It focuses on regulating conversion from one religion to another within the state. The proposed law will be introduced in the ongoing Budget Session of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. The objective is to strengthen legal measures against unlawful religious conversions in the state.

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Odisha develop its first “smart village” at Kusunpur in Kendrapada district under a mission by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. The project aligns with the vision of “Viksit Bharat@2047” to promote technology-driven and sustainable rural development. Kusunpur village has about 130 families and 700 people and will serve as a model for smart rural transformation. The initiative involves collaboration between CSIR labs, local administration, and implementation partners.

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The Punjab Government has launched the second phase of school education reforms, ‘Punjab Sikhya Kranti 2.0’, to modernize and strengthen the state’s education system. The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank, aiming to make Punjab’s education system globally competitive. The initiative involves a total investment of ₹3,500 crore over the next six years, making it one of the largest education reform investments in the state’s history.