India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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PRAGATI, the Prime Minister’s flagship platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, recently completed its 50th meeting. PRAGATI is an integrated and interactive system to resolve public grievances and monitor key Central and State Government projects. It promotes electronic transparency and electronic accountability through real-time interaction among stakeholders. The platform was launched on 25 March 2015. It was designed in-house by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with support from the National Informatics Centre (NIC). It enables the Prime Minister to directly review projects with live data and visual evidence. The platform integrates digital data management, video conferencing, and geospatial technology.

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Gujarat has launched Poshan Udaan 2026 during the Makar Sankranti festival to promote nutrition and health awareness across the state. The initiative uses the popular kite festival, with kites displaying nutrition and health messages, to engage communities in a symbolic and culturally rooted manner. The programme aims to highlight the importance of balanced diets and healthy practices for children, adolescent girls, and mothers. Poshan Udaan 2026 is implemented under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) framework through Anganwadi centres.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Udupi District Collector (DC) and Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) Chairman to submit an action plan to stop wastewater flow into the Souparnika River. The Souparnika, also called Sowparnika, is a west-flowing river in Karnataka. It flows through dense forests of the Western Ghats. The river originates from the Kodachadri Hills in the Western Ghats.

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Lucknow became Uttar Pradesh’s first zero fresh waste dump city after launching the Shivari Solid Waste Management Plant under Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U). The new plant processes 700 metric tonnes per day, taking total capacity to over 2,100 metric tonnes daily. Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and Bhumi Green Energy operate three plants of equal capacity. Waste is segregated into organic (55%) and inorganic (45%) fractions. Organic waste is converted into compost and biogas, while inorganic waste is recycled or made into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).

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The Supreme Court is re-examining the long-standing dispute over Scheduled Tribe (ST) status of the Lambada community in Telangana. Lambadas are also known as Sugalis or Banjaras and are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe. They are mainly spread across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The community is believed to have originated from the Marwar region of Rajasthan. Traditionally, they were semi-nomadic traders transporting goods, but this declined during British rule. They speak “Gor Boli”, also called Lambadi language.

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Researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a predictive framework identifying 492 locations in the Eastern Himalayas where glacial lakes are likely to form. The study used high-resolution Google Earth images and digital elevation models to capture complex landscape features and estimate prediction uncertainties. The framework can guide early-warning systems for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and assist in planning safer sites for roads, hydropower projects, settlements, and long-term water-resource management.

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Gujarat leads India’s renewable energy sector with 42.583 gigawatt installed capacity, contributing 16.50 percent of the national total as of December 2025. The state ranks first in total renewable and wind power capacity and second in solar power capacity. Renewable energy includes 14,820.94 megawatt wind power and 25,529.40 megawatt solar power, with hybrid and off-grid sources. Gujarat accounts for over 25 percent of India’s rooftop solar installations with 6,412.80 megawatt capacity. Major solar parks operate at Charanka, Radhanesda, and Dholera, while Khavda hosts the world’s largest renewable park under development.

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Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah launched Bharat Taxi on 5 February 2026 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. Bharat Taxi is India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform aligned with the vision of Sahkar se Samriddhi. It is registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 and was established on 6 June 2025. The platform follows a zero-commission and surge-free pricing model with profits shared directly with drivers called Sarathis. Sarathis receive ₹5 lakh accident insurance and ₹5 lakh family health insurance.

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized over four kilograms of Mephedrone (MD), a synthetic stimulant drug, from Sanchore in Rajasthan. The operation was conducted jointly with the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Rajasthan, and Jalore Police. Laboratory and industrial equipment used for manufacturing synthetic drugs were recovered. The crackdown was carried out under Operation PRAYOGSHALA. The seizure highlights intensified efforts to dismantle illegal synthetic drug manufacturing networks.

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Eight members of Karnataka’s Hakki Pikki tribal community are stranded in Central Africa after their visas expired during travel for selling herbal products. Hakki Pikki is a major tribal community of Karnataka with a population of 11,892 as per the Census 2011. In Kannada, “Hakki” means bird and “Pikki” means to catch, reflecting their traditional bird-catching occupation. They believe they descended from Ranapratap Singh and have a Kshatriya or warrior origin, migrating south after Mughal conflicts. They are officially recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in India.