India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) hosted the fourth edition of its Manasvi: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Mentorship Program for High School Girls from May 13 to 17, 2025. The five-day event welcomed 100 girls from Classes 9 to 12, mainly from government schools in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), to promote STEM learning. Organized by the Office of Academic Outreach and New Initiatives at IIT Delhi, Manasvi aims to boost confidence and interest among girls in STEM careers. The program included technical workshops, motivational talks, and hands-on sessions like solar lamp assembly at the MakerSpace Lab.

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The Jharkhand High Court recently directed the state government to strictly enforce an old ban on meat, alcohol, and intoxicants on Parasnath Hill. Parasnath Hill, the highest peak in Jharkhand at 4,478 feet, is located in the Giridih district. It holds sacred value for both the Jain and Santal Adivasi communities. For Jains, it is a holy pilgrimage site where 20 out of 24 Tirthankaras are believed to have attained moksha, or liberation. The hill has over 40 Jain temples and dhams, attracting both Shwetambar and Digambar sects. Santals call it Marang Buru or “Great Mountain,” their most sacred spiritual site. It houses Jug Jaher Than, similar in importance to Mecca for Santals. It is also where Lo Bir Baisi, the Santal tribal council, meets to resolve key disputes.

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The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued a high wave alert for the coasts of Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Kerala. INCOIS was established in 1999 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). It is part of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO) and is located in Hyderabad. INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to society, industries, government agencies, and scientists. Its services include Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Tsunami Early Warning System, Ocean State Forecast (OSF), and Coral Bleaching Alerts. The recent alert highlights INCOIS’s critical role in protecting coastal communities and marine activities.

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Mizoram’s capital Aizawl has been linked to the national railway network through the new Bairabi–Sairang line, marking a major boost in North-East connectivity. Mizoram now becomes the fourth North-East state with capital city rail connectivity after Assam, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. This project is part of the Ministry of Railways’ larger mission to connect all North-East capitals.

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The Prime Minister participated in the ‘Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan’ in Bhopal to mark the 300th birth anniversary of Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) ruled the Malwa region as part of the Maratha Confederacy from 1767 to 1795. She first served as regent and then as the ruler of the Holkar dynasty with capitals at Maheshwar and Indore in central India. Her reign is known as the peak period of the Holkar dynasty, bringing peace, prosperity, and cultural growth.

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The Department of Land Resources (DoLR), Ministry of Rural Development, will conduct the second phase of capacity-building under the NAKSHA programme starting 2nd June 2025. The NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban Habitations (NAKSHA) programme is a city survey initiative under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP). It is led by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) under the Ministry of Rural Development. The programme prepares detailed maps of towns and cities to improve land records.

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Telangana government has launched a Composite Backwardness Index (CBI) using data from a caste survey covering over 3.5 crore people. Composite Backwardness Index (CBI) is developed by an expert panel using 42 indicators across nine categories to measure caste-wise backwardness scientifically. This approach moves away from older methods like the Mandal Commission, which used population size and just 11 indicators for identifying backwardness. It marks a global first in using detailed data to assess social and economic backwardness more accurately.

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A silent “Save Powai Lake” human chain planned by locals and nature lovers was recently cancelled after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asked for an event fee of Rs 11,000. Powai Lake is an artificial lake in northern Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was created by constructing two dams across hillocks at the southern edge of the Western Ghats. It is part of the Powai Bird Sanctuary and is home to many rare birds like Woolly-necked Stork and Peregrine Falcon.

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Recently, an encounter broke out on 26 June between terrorists and security forces in Bihali area of Basantgarh, Udhampur district, Jammu and Kashmir, during a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police. This incident occurred just ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, scheduled from 3 July to 8 August 2025, which draws thousands of pilgrims via Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The joint operation, named ‘Operation Bihali’, was launched based on specific intelligence, and contact was established with terrorists, according to the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps.

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Recently, the Registrar General of India (RGI) asked all States to ensure that mothers receive birth certificates of newborns before being discharged from hospitals, especially government-run hospitals. The Registrar General of India was set up under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is also the Census Commissioner of India. The Registrar General of India mainly collects data on population size, growth, and distribution.