India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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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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Masi Magam is an important festival in the Tamil calendar, holding deep cultural and identity significance for the Irular community. The Irulars are a Dravidian ethnic group, mainly living in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are considered one of India’s oldest indigenous communities and are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tamil Nadu. They also identify as Erlar or Poosari, while others call them Irulas, Shikari, Pujari or Eralollu.

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Telangana government passed the Platform-Based Gig Workers (Registration, Social Security and Welfare) Bill in April 2026 to regulate gig work and ensure welfare. The bill provides for a welfare board, aggregator levy, unique identification for workers, and penalties for non-compliance. It aligns with provisions of Code on Social Security, 2020 recognizing gig workers. The initiative addresses issues like income insecurity, lack of social protection, and financial exclusion. Similar legislation has been enacted in states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Bihar.

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Karnataka has recorded the highest number of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) trained as drone pilots under the Namo Drone Didi Yojana (NDDY). The scheme is a Central Sector initiative aimed at empowering women-led SHGs under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission by providing drone technology for agricultural services. It aims to enable SHGs to provide drone rental services to farmers, mainly for spraying liquid fertilizers and pesticides. Around 15,000 drones will be distributed to selected women SHGs during 2024–25 to 2025–26.

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The Gujarat High Court released a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence policy in April 2026 (specifically, announced on April 4, 2026) that strictly bans the use of AI in drafting judgments, preparing orders, and in any form of judicial decision-making. AI is prohibited from being used for judicial reasoning, bail/sentencing considerations, evaluation of evidence, or interpreting facts. The policy mandates that human judgment must remain central to the justice system.

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Puducherry deployed a humanoid robot named Nila for the first time during Assembly elections at VOC Government School on 8 April 2026. Nila is an event-based interactive humanoid robot developed by Robo Mirror. The purpose is to create a high-tech, voter-friendly environment and attract young and first-time voters. It was dressed in a traditional saree, welcomed voters with flowers, and guided them inside the polling booth.

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Members of the Matua community reportedly faced voter deletions during Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal. The Matua community is a marginalized Hindu sect with roots in the 19th century. The Matua community is primarily found in the Bengal region, with a significant presence in both West Bengal and Bangladesh. It was founded by Harichand Thakur in the 1860s against caste discrimination. Matuas are the second largest Scheduled Caste (SC) group in West Bengal.

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The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation introduced a QR code-based passenger feedback system in April 2026 to improve service quality. Passengers can scan QR codes installed in buses to rate services, register complaints, and upload feedback in real time. The initiative ensures quick grievance redressal, as seen when odour complaints in AC and Volvo buses were resolved promptly. GSRTC recorded an average passenger satisfaction rating of 4.5/5 based on 1,702 responses in March 2026.

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The Narcotics Analysis and Retrieval Augmented Generation-based Investigation Tool (NARIT-AI) is an Artificial Intelligence-based system launched by the Gujarat Police to handle complex narcotics cases. It is designed to assist investigations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, aiming to improve efficiency and conviction rates. The tool was developed by the Western Railway Police, Vadodara Division in collaboration with Gradiante Creative Services. It operates on a closed database including Supreme Court and High Court judgments and legal codes such as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

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The “Har Dwar, Dastak” campaign has been launched in Uttarakhand as part of Census 2027 to ensure door-to-door data collection. Enumerators will visit every household to collect data on 33 parameters related to amenities and assets. The Ministry of Home Affairs has deployed 20,859 enumerators and 3,670 supervisors, trained through 555 batches. This is the first fully mobile app-based digital census in India, marking a major step in digital governance. The campaign aims to ensure accurate, transparent, and real-time data collection across the state.