India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 report by the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago, shows air pollution is India’s top health threat. Dirty air cuts 3.5 years from average life expectancy, higher than malnutrition (1.6 years), tobacco use (1.5 years), and unsafe water (8.4 months). All 1.4 billion Indians live in areas exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) safe PM2.5 limit of 5 µg/m³. Northern India is the world’s most polluted region. Delhi-NCR residents face the highest loss with 8.2 years of life expectancy cut due to air pollution. Bihar residents lose 5.6 years of life expectancy. Haryana residents lose 5.3 years of life expectancy. The report urges urgent emission control to prevent loss of healthy years due to toxic air.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced cashless medical treatment for all teachers in the state. The facility covers teachers in primary, upper-primary, secondary, aided schools and colleges, Shiksha Mitras, instructors, and cooks. Around nine lakh teachers and their families will benefit, avoiding financial difficulties during illness or emergencies. The announcement was made at the state-level teachers’ honour ceremony in Lucknow on Teachers’ Day. The initiative symbolizes the government’s gratitude for teachers’ contributions.

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Prime Minister inaugurated Mizoram’s first-ever railway line, the Bairabi–Sairang broad-gauge project. It connects Bairabi on the Assam–Mizoram border to Sairang, 20 km from Aizawl, the state capital. Aizawl becomes the fourth northeastern state capital linked to India’s railway network after Guwahati, Agartala, and Itanagar. The rail line is 51.38 km long, passing through hilly and challenging terrain.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan from Madhya Pradesh on 18 September 2025. It is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to create a decentralized tribal leadership and governance ecosystem. Since July 2025, officers from multiple departments underwent Governance Process Labs, training 20 lakh officials, SHG women, and tribal youth as grassroots Adi Karmayogis. The initiative ensures last-mile scheme implementation, convergence of resources, and active participation of tribal communities. As part of the Abhiyan, the Adi Sewa Parv (17 Sept–2 Oct 2025) is being celebrated in 1 lakh tribal villages.

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Surajpur district, Chhattisgarh, declared 75 village panchayats as “Child Marriage-Free Panchayats” on 17 September 2025, during National Nutrition Month and the “Healthy Women, Empowered Families” campaign. Recognition was given as no child marriage cases were recorded in two years. Success credited to Women and Child Development Department, Anganwadi workers, panchayat leaders, NGOs, and community participation. Awareness drives promoted child rights, education, and women’s empowerment, leading parents to prioritize education over early marriage.

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Kerala launched the Spice Route Initiative under Muziris Projects Limited to promote heritage and spice-based tourism. 10 unique Spice Route tourism circuits will be created within a year, linking ancient ports, heritage sites, and intangible cultural heritage. The initiative focuses on reviving intangible heritage and offering diverse experiences for travellers. The initiative also promotes educational tourism and strengthens historical trade relations with other countries.

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Madhya Pradesh launched the Gaj Rakshak App to monitor elephants and prevent man-elephant conflict. It was developed in collaboration with Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, Wildlife Conservation Trust, and Kalpvag Company. It provides real-time information on elephant location, movement, and behaviour. It sends timely alerts to villages via WhatsApp, SMS, voice calls, push notifications, sirens, and offline mode. It enables elephant monitors to share photos, location, and herd details within a 10 km radius. It covers Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and nearby districts: Shahdol, Anuppur, Umaria, Sidhi, Singrauli, Satna, Dindori.

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully conducted the 10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-X) on 05-06 October 2025 off Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was held along with the 27th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) & Preparedness Meeting. The event saw participation from central ministries, coastal state governments, major ports, oil handling agencies, and maritime organizations. The exercise tested India’s preparedness for marine oil spills and inter-agency coordination under NOSDCP. ICG deployed ships and aircraft equipped for maritime pollution control.

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The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, launched SPARK–4.0 (2025–26), the fourth edition of the Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK). The program aims to ignite scientific curiosity and research aptitude among undergraduate Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) students across India. 300 BAMS students from National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) recognized colleges will receive a studentship of ₹50,000 (₹25,000 per month for two months). SPARK provides short-term independent research projects under faculty mentorship, covering research methodology, experimental design, and data analysis. The program fosters a research-oriented generation of Ayurveda professionals and strengthens the Ayush research ecosystem.

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Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the revamped Sugamya Bharat App at the Purple Fest in Goa. The app was launched under the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan). It aims to enhance accessibility for Divyangjan (persons with disabilities) and elderly citizens across India. It serves as a citizen-led platform to make public spaces more inclusive and accessible. The app includes an Accessibility Mapping Function to rate public places based on accessibility. It has a Consolidated Directory for schemes, scholarships, benefits, and jobs for Divyangjan. It provides curated job and education listings from both government and private sectors.