India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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In November 2025, Rekha Gupta, Chief Minister of Delhi, launched the ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’ initiative. The scheme offers free and convenient travel for women and transgender commuters on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses. It promotes safer, inclusive, and accessible public transport in Delhi. The smart card replaces the pink-paper ticket system and operates under the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) framework.

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Mizoram launched the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Solve Project in Aizawl to tackle rising violence against women. The project is jointly initiated by Aparajita and J-PAL South Asia, and implemented in Mizoram by the Mission Foundation Movement (MFM). Reported cases of violence against women in the state rose sharply from 3,094 (2022–2023) to 12,750 (February 2025). The project aims to educate children on gender equality and provide skill training for women to support livelihood development.

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In November 2025, Gujarat announced 2025 as “Tribal Pride Year” to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to promote tribal heritage through Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas and sustainable development. Gujarat became India’s first state to launch a large-scale genome sequencing project focused on tribal communities. Led by Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) under the Genome India initiative, it studies genetic disorders caused by limited diversity and endogamy. It targets diseases like sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, and G6PD deficiency through early diagnosis and precision medicine.

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Recently, Ambaji Marble received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for its high-quality white stone. Ambaji Marble is named after Ambaji town in Gujarat, where it is mainly quarried. It is known for its milky white colour, natural beauty, and strong durability. It often shows subtle grey or beige veins formed naturally by minerals during its creation. Ambaji Marble is widely used in temples, memorials, religious structures, and iconic buildings, including the famous Ambaji Temple.

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Recently, under Operation Fire Trail, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) busted a major smuggling attempt of Chinese firecrackers. A 40-foot container at Mundra port was intercepted, falsely declared as “water glass set” and “flower receptacle.” Detailed checks uncovered 30,000 concealed firecrackers hidden behind genuine cargo. Similar smuggling attempts were earlier foiled at Mumbai and Tuticorin in October 2025. Import of firecrackers is Restricted and requires licences from Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO). The importer lacked documents and admitted the smuggling; goods worth ₹5 crore were seized under the Customs Act, 1962.

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Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reported that Sanchar Saathi enabled recovery of 50,000+ lost/stolen mobiles in October 2025, with total recoveries crossing 7 lakh. Karnataka and Telangana crossed 1 lakh recoveries each; Maharashtra exceeded 80,000. Monthly recoveries rose 47% from June to October 2025, with one handset recovered every minute. The platform uses indigenous automated workflows and real-time device tracking, preventing misuse of blocked phones. Sanchar Saathi is a digital safety initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which operates under the Ministry of Communications.

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Five products from Tamil Nadu received the Geographical Indications (GI – legal tag for regional products) status, raising the State’s total to 74 GI products. The products are Woraiyur cotton sari, Kavindapadi naatu sakkarai (jaggery powder), Thooyamalli rice, Namakkal makkal pathirangal (soapstone cookware), and Ambasamudram choppu saman (wooden toys). Woraiyur saris are woven in Tiruchi using cotton from Coimbatore and natural dyes. Kavindapadi jaggery is made from local sugarcane using slow juice evaporation. Thooyamalli is a 135–140 day sambha rice variety, applied by the Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) support. Namakkal soapstone cookware gained approval through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) support.

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NITI Aayog has declared Mizoram as the Ginger Capital of India, acknowledging its superior quality and expanding production of ginger. The state government is actively promoting ginger cultivation, value addition, and processing to strengthen farmers’ income. Major steps include large-scale procurement and financial disbursement to support growers. New ginger processing units and upcoming promotional events are planned to boost the ginger-based industry and market linkages even further.

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The Ministry of Panchayati Raj launched SabhaSaar, an AI-enabled voice-to-text meeting summarisation tool, on 14 August 2025. SabhaSaar has been made available to all States and Union Territories for use in Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings. In the pilot phase, all 1,194 Gram Panchayats of Tripura were encouraged to use the tool for Special Gram Sabhas on 15 August 2025. A total of 1,047 Gram Panchayats in Tripura successfully used SabhaSaar on 15 August 2025, accounting for 87 percent adoption. Across India, 12,667 Gram Panchayats used SabhaSaar on 15 August 2025. As of 03 December 2025, a cumulative total of 92,376 Gram Panchayats across States and UTs had used SabhaSaar for automated meeting summarisation.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting to set up the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS) for securing vessels and port facilities, attended by the Ministers of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Civil Aviation. It shall be constituted a statutory body under Section 13 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, modelled on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). It functions under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) and oversee regulatory and security functions for ships and port facilities. The Bureau will be led by an IPS officer (Pay Level-15) as Director General.