India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government said 97,158 criminals were convicted under Operation Conviction since July 2023. Operation Conviction was launched on 1 July 2023 to ensure fast justice, especially for serious crimes. Out of 1,14,029 identified cases, 74,388 cases were disposed of, with 69,422 convictions secured. Under the campaign, 68 criminals got the death penalty, 8,172 got life imprisonment, 1,453 were sentenced to over 20 years, and 87,465 got up to 20 years imprisonment. It focused on organised crime, convicting 395 gang members in 272 cases involving top 10 notorious criminals.

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Recently, the Union Environment Ministry extended the validity of infrastructure projects approved under the 2011 Islands Protection Zone (IPZ) notification. IPZ was notified in 2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to protect island ecosystems. It aims to safeguard the ecological integrity of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. IPZ is similar to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), which applies to mainland coastal areas. It includes Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) for major islands like North, Middle, South, and Little Andaman.

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Many ex-servicemen recently reported that SPARSH (System for Pension Administration Raksha) has made pension access difficult due to complex interface and unresolved corrections. SPARSH is a web-based pension system launched by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. It aims to manage pension sanction and disbursement for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defence Civilians. The system is run by the Defence Accounts Department through the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj. It removes third-party intermediaries and directly deposits pensions into bank accounts. SPARSH covers the full pension cycle: initiation, sanction, disbursement, revision, and grievance redressal.

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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently approved the recruitment of 58,000 more personnel for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). This move prepares CISF for securing future industrial hubs in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas. CISF is a Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, headquartered in New Delhi. CISF was established in 1969 through the CISF Act, 1968, with an initial strength of just three battalions. It was declared an Armed Force of the Union in 1983 after amending the Act.

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Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi inaugurated Agnishodh, the Indian Army Research Cell (IARC), at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras. The centre will integrate academic research with real-time military applications to support Army modernization under the Five Pillars of Transformation. It aligns with the Army’s vision of “Swadeshikaran Se Sashaktikaran” (Empowerment through Indigenization). Focus areas include additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, wireless communication, and drones.

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Prime Minister dedicated Kartavya Bhawan to the nation. It is designed to meet Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)-4 green building standards. The building includes solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and other sustainable features. Kartavya Bhawan is part of the Common Central Secretariat buildings to house bureaucracy under the Central Vista Project. GRIHA is a tool to assess building performance against nationally acceptable green benchmarks. It was developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

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India developed the Bharat Forecast System (BharatFS), an advanced weather prediction model. BharatFS improves extreme rainfall forecast accuracy by 30% over earlier models. It was developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, in collaboration with the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD). BharatFS is part of the “Make in India” initiative supporting the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision. The system enables localized forecasts useful for disaster management and agriculture at village levels. India is the only country running such a high-resolution global, real-time weather system.

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Recently, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang launched ‘Nari Adalat’ during the first Amma Samman Diwas at Rongpo. ‘Nari Adalat’ is a community-based forum run by women to provide accessible and informal justice in rural and semi-urban areas. It empowers women to address disputes and social issues affecting them without relying solely on formal courts. It resolves minor disputes such as family disagreements, non-severe domestic violence, and marital issues.

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Recently, an expert panel of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recommended environmental clearance for the 3,087 Megawatt (MW) Etalin Hydroelectric Project. Etalin is a large run-of-river hydro project on the Dri and Tangon Rivers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley. The Dri River meets Mathun, then joins Tangon near Etalin village, after which it is called the Dibang River. The project will build concrete gravity dams to divert water through two separate waterway systems.

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently launched the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESTH) virtually. It is India’s first national initiative to benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems using a transparent, data-driven framework. It is proposed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It ensures consistent drug safety and quality standards. It has 27 indices for manufacturing states and 23 for primarily distribution states, covering themes like human resources, infrastructure, licensing, surveillance, and responsiveness.