India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Recently, Gujarat became the first state to implement the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) under a state-led model. The program ensures seamless digital connectivity across all 14,654 Gram Panchayats and non-Gram Panchayat villages in Gujarat on demand. It aims to deliver over 98% service uptime through modern infrastructure, offering high-speed internet and reliable digital services. The Union Cabinet approved Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) on 4th August 2023, funded through the Digital Bharat Nidhi.

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Recently, Salkhan Fossil Park, also called Sonbhadra Fossils Park, was added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Tentative List for World Heritage Sites. It is located in Salkhan village in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The park contains stromatolites—layered rocks formed by ancient cyanobacteria—from the Mesoproterozoic era, around 1.4 billion years ago. These fossils are older than those in Shark Bay, Australia, and Yellowstone, USA, and have challenged previous beliefs about early life on Earth.

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Recently, Lucknow became Uttar Pradesh’s first “Zero Dump City” with all three units of the Shivri waste treatment plant fully operational. The plant now processes 2100 metric tons of waste daily and has cleared two-thirds of the old waste mound. A ₹96 crore project began in 2023 under Swachh Bharat Mission by Lucknow Municipal Corporation. Pune-based Bhumi Green Energy took over in January 2024, using microbial culture and air drying methods. Each unit handles 700 metric tons per day. Waste is separated into fine soil for farming, Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) for cement and paper industries, coarse materials for land reclamation, and construction debris for infrastructure.

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Recently, India achieved global recognition for its first Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) at the Remount Veterinary Corps Centre and College, Meerut Cantonment, Uttar Pradesh. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) approved the facility on 3rd July. The EDFC enables Indian sport horses to travel and compete internationally by meeting global biosecurity and animal health standards. The compartment is free from Equine Infectious Anaemia, Equine Influenza, Equine Piroplasmosis, Glanders, Surra, and African Horse Sickness.

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In July 2025, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) released the 35th monthly report of the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) for June 2025. CPGRAMS is an online platform for registering and resolving public grievances across States and Union Territories (UTs). A total of 63,135 grievances were redressed by States/UTs during June 2025. 58,502 new users registered on CPGRAMS in June 2025, with Uttar Pradesh having the highest registrations at 9,589. Uttar Pradesh received the highest number of grievances at 28,497 and also disposed the highest at 25,870, followed by Gujarat with 3,986.

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Recently, on July 14, 2025, Yakten village in Pakyong district, Sikkim was officially declared India’s first digital nomad village. It was launched under the ‘Nomad Sikkim’ initiative, a collaboration between the district administration and NGO Sarvahitey. The project aims to attract digital professionals from India and abroad to work remotely in Sikkim. It focuses on providing sustainable income to homestay owners, especially during the six-month off-season from April-May.

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The Punjab Government recently introduced the ‘Prevention of Offences Against Holy Scriptures Bill, 2025’ in the legislative assembly. The Bill aims to preserve religious harmony and fraternity among people of different faiths in Punjab. It proposes strict punishment for offences like sacrilege, defacing, damaging, or burning any Holy Scripture. Holy Scriptures include Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Quran Sharif, and Holy Bible, including their extracts like Pothis and Gutka Sahib. The punishment includes imprisonment of minimum 10 years, which may extend to life, and a fine between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

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The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, launched a three-month nationwide saturation campaign from 1st July to 30th September 2025. The campaign aims to expand the reach of flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). It targets complete coverage across 2.70 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

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The Indian Army, J&K Police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) recently launched Operation Mahadev in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation was conducted by Chinar Corps in the general area of Lidwas. Three terrorists were eliminated, including Hashim Musa, a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and mastermind of the Pahalgam attack. The anti-terror operation lasted two days and was based on intercepted communication from Dachigam forests.

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Recently, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched AI-powered climate advisory services for farmers on July 30, 2025, in Hyderabad. The initiative is named “AI-powered Context-Specific Agromet Advisory Services for Climate-Resilient Agriculture at Scale.” It is a joint project by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to deliver real-time, personalised climate and weather advisories.