India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The National Sanskrit University recently organised a symposium, panel discussion, and exhibition highlighting the unique spiritual and cultural association of the Chenchu tribal community with the Ahobilam shrine and Lord Narasimha. The Chenchus are a food-gathering tribal community that primarily inhabits the Nallamalai forest region of Andhra Pradesh. The Chenchu community is officially classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Andhra Pradesh due to its socio-economic conditions. Besides Andhra Pradesh, Chenchu populations are also found in the states of Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha.

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The Union Government launched a ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme for holistic development of the makhana sector during the first meeting of the National Makhana Board. National Makhana Board was established as announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, aiming to modernize and strengthen India’s makhana industry. The Board is headquartered in Purnea, Bihar, a major hub for makhana cultivation. The initiative focuses on improving production, processing, marketing, and export potential of makhana, supporting farmers and the agri-based economy.

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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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Gujarat’s Dahod district implements the UNICEF-supported Pa Pa Pagli initiative in Anganwadi centres for children aged 3–6 years. Pa Pa Pagli (First Steps of the Child) is a play-based pre-school education programme by the Gujarat Women and Child Development Department. It targets children in educationally backward districts to improve learning outcomes and confidence. It focuses on life-skills like social interaction, communication, hygiene, and routine habits. It transforms Anganwadis from nutrition and health centres to early cognitive development hubs. It uses digital and visual aids, with UNICEF India providing technical support.

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The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has been linked to the National Population Register (NPR) to strengthen intelligence gathering and speed up criminal investigations. NATGRID is a real-time intelligence and data-access platform developed after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks (2008) to enable seamless information-sharing among security and enforcement agencies. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and consolidates over 20 categories of civil and commercial data, including bank transactions, telecom usage, passport and immigration records, tax IDs, police FIRs (CCTNS), and other e-governance sources.

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Researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) have shown that local ecological knowledge of the Adi community can improve efforts to track the critically endangered Chinese pangolin. Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a small, nocturnal mammal fully covered in protective keratin scales. It inhabits subtropical, tropical, and deciduous forests and is distributed across southern China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Hainan, parts of Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as northern India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The species has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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Surat is set to become India’s first slum-free city with a population of over 70 lakh. Currently, Chandigarh is India’s first slum-free city with a population of 10 lakh. In 2006, 36% of Surat’s population lived in slums; it has now reduced to 5%. The government plans phased, result-oriented efforts and proper housing to achieve full slum-free status.

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Project Veer Gatha 5.0 is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Education (MoE) under Republic Day celebrations. Approximately 1.92 crore students from around 1.90 lakh schools participated, marking the highest participation since its launch in 2021. A total of 100 national-level “Super-Winners” were selected: 25 each from Preparatory (Grades 3–5) and Middle (Grades 6–8), and 50 from Secondary (Grades 9–12). Each national-level winner will receive a cash prize of ₹10,000 and will attend the Republic Day Parade 2026 at Kartavya Path as a special guest.

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The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), in collaboration with the Keyi Panyor district administration, is developing India’s first “Bio-Happy District” in Arunachal Pradesh. It will focus on resident livelihoods, agro-biodiversity, and other ecological aspects within the district. Biohappiness, a concept coined by late agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, refers to well-being arising from biodiversity conservation and its use to improve human health, nutrition, and livelihoods. The concept emphasizes creating harmony between people and nature.

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Recently, Odisha launched the five-year scheme ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’ to promote women empowerment and early childhood education. The scheme provides education for children aged 3–6 years in their mother tongue, aligning with the National Education Policy, 2020. Anganwadi workers will receive language-specific training, educational materials, and audio-visual content. Odisha also launched a 100-day campaign to prevent child marriage and a pilot project to prevent teenage pregnancy and support teenage mothers.