India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, has launched a new module on the UMEED Portal to strengthen inclusive welfare. The module enables widows, divorced women, and orphans to apply for maintenance support from Waqf-alal-aulad properties under Rule 8(2) of the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Rules, 2025. UMEED Portal is a centralized platform to register and manage Waqf properties nationwide. The initiative promotes digital, people-centric Waqf administration and welfare for women and children in minority communities. The module supports the charitable objectives of Waqf endowments while modernizing governance and financial delivery.

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Union Home Minister recently launched the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) at 5 more airports It was launched at Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Trichy, Calicut, and Amritsar airports. It was first launched at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in 2024. It is meant for Indian nationals and foreign nationals holding Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards. The programme ensures faster, smoother, and secure immigration clearance. The Bureau of Immigration under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is the nodal agency.

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Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Gyan Bharatam portal at the International Conference on Gyan Bharatam in New Delhi. The portal is part of the Gyan Bharatam Mission announced in the Budget session 2025. The mission aims to digitise, catalogue, and preserve India’s one crore manuscripts and make them globally accessible. It addresses intellectual piracy by providing authentic sources of traditional knowledge.

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 108.67 kg of hydroponic weed in pan-India operations over the last 20 days. As part of Operation Weed Out, DRI seized 39.2 kg at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, on September 13–14, 2025. Three persons were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Earlier, on August 20–21, 2025, DRI seized 72.024 kg worth ₹72 crore with illegal proceeds of ₹1.02 crore.

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The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared land acquisition of 1,33,867 acres for Upper Krishna Project (UKP) Phase III. This will facilitate raising the Almatti Dam height from 519.16 metres to 524.256 metres. Almatti Dam is built on the Krishna River in North Karnataka and was completed in July 2005. It supplies irrigation, drinking water, hydroelectric power, and controls floods. It produces 713 million kilowatt (KW) electricity annually with a 290 MW power station.

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Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested eight accused and identified 45 suspects under Operation HAECHI-VI, an Interpol-led exercise against transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes. The operation targeted seven offences: cyber-enabled financial crime, voice phishing, love and romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering linked to illegal online gambling, business email compromise, and e-commerce fraud. CBI coordinated with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Justice, and German authorities. $66,340 cash was seized and 30 bank accounts blocked.

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The Centre recently recommended environmental clearance for the 1,856-MW Sawalkote Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant in the Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir. It will be the largest hydroelectric project in the Union Territory and one of the biggest in North India. The project was first conceptualised in the 1980s and revised multiple times due to environmental and technical concerns. It will be built by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 31,380 crore.

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A pilot bamboo plantation project was recently launched in Adilabad district of Telangana to restore traditional livelihoods of the Kolam tribal people. The Kolam tribe, also called Kolamboli, Kulme, or Kolmi, mainly live in Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. They are listed as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). Historically, the Kolams served as priests for the Gond tribe in the 12th century. Their society is patrilineal and divided into clans where inter-clan marriages are not allowed. They speak the Kolami language and depend on farming and forest work for livelihood.

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The Intrusion Detection System (IDS) has been launched by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) under the Ministry of Railways. It has successfully completed trial works in four key railway sections. The system aims to protect wildlife, especially elephants, while maintaining operational efficiency in forested areas. The IDS runs parallel to railway tracks at a distance of 10 metres. It uses advanced optical fibre sensing technology to detect elephant movements near tracks. The system sends real-time alerts to train drivers and control rooms for preventive action. Elephant-generated vibrations are detected by sensor cables and transmitted to the control room.

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Laxman Jhula, the historic hanging bridge in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, was completed in 1929 and linked the villages of Tapovan and Jonk across the Ganges River. It is steeped in mythology, believed to be the spot where Lakshmana from the Ramayana crossed the river. The bridge was shut in 2019 for safety concerns and no longer allowed vehicles or pedestrians. The government decided to replace it with Bajrang Setu, a new 132.5-meter-long glass suspension bridge. Bajrang Setu features two-way lanes for light vehicles, pedestrian walkways with 3.5-inch thick toughened glass panels, and offers stunning views of the Ganges. The bridge design is inspired by Kedarnath Temple with intricate carvings on towers, reflecting local cultural heritage.