India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Maharashtra government has imposed a complete ban on physical and mental punishment in schools, reinforcing Section 17 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009. A new government resolution makes it clear that teachers, headmasters, and temporary or contractual staff cannot punish students under any circumstances. The order also prohibits verbal abuse, taunting, offensive language, and any behaviour causing psychological distress or inferiority among students. Discrimination based on academic performance, caste, religion, gender, language, disability, or socio-economic background will be treated as a punishable offence. Teachers are barred from non-academic communication with students through personal messages or social media.

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A High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah approved ₹507.37 crore for National Project for Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction (NPSDRR) in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across 20 states. It is jointly implemented by Ministry of Panchayati Raj and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). It is linked to the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) launched in 2021; the initiative is now extended to Panchayat level. The focus is to integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into governance using a bottom-up approach and build disaster-resilient communities.

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The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is proposing a mandatory identification system for electric vehicle (EV) batteries using a unique 21-character “Battery Pack Aadhaar Number” (BPAN). BPAN will be assigned to every EV battery introduced in the market or used for self-consumption. The primary aim of BPAN is to ensure end-to-end traceability of batteries throughout their lifecycle—from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to usage, repurposing, and final disposal. This initiative was proposed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

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Recently, 50,373 public health facilities across all States and Union Territories were certified under National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS). National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) is a national quality framework created by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It aims to improve the safety, quality, and patient-focused nature of public healthcare services. It first focused on District Hospitals to ensure reliable and quality care. Now it covers District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, and Ayushman Arogya Mandir Primary Health Centres, Urban Primary Health Centres, and Sub Health Centres.

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development launched the PANKHUDI Portal on 8 January 2026. It is an integrated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and partnership facilitation digital platform. PANKHUDI brings together government, citizens, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and corporates. It supports sectors like nutrition, health, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), child protection, and women empowerment. It strengthens Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Vatsalya, and Mission Shakti.

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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 Election Commission of India (ECI) launched the ECINET digital platform at the International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026. Its beta version was piloted during the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections. ECINET is an integrated digital ecosystem enabling end-to-end management of electoral processes through a single platform. It is the world’s largest electoral service platform. The platform enhances transparency, efficiency, and real-time monitoring of elections.

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The release of silt-laden water from Pandoh Dam into the Sutlej River instead of the Beas River has caused objections from the Punjab Government. Pandoh Dam is an embankment and concrete gravity dam built on the Beas River in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, about 10 km from Manali. It was completed in 1977 under the Beas Project mainly for hydroelectric power generation. The dam is about 76 metres high and 492 metres long and follows a run-of-the-river design. Beas River water is diverted through 38 km long canals and tunnels to the Dehar Power House and then released into the Sutlej River.

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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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India began work on the Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a 1,856 megawatt run-of-the-river hydropower project located in Ramban district. It will be the largest hydroelectric project in the Union Territory and among the biggest in North India. Planned since the 1980s, it was revised multiple times to address environmental and technical issues. The project will be built by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) with nine turbines and an underground power station.