India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Kadamparai Pumped Storage Hydro Power Plant in Tamil Nadu is currently operating at only 25% capacity as it has crossed its design life. It is a 400 MW hydropower project located in the Kadamparai river basin of Tamil Nadu. Commissioned in 1987, it was Tamil Nadu’s first pumped storage hydropower unit. The plant is unique in the state for having reversible two-way turbines that can function in both generator and motor modes.

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Kirthai-II Hydroelectric Project has been revived in Jammu & Kashmir after remaining stalled for several years. It is a 930 MW hydropower project planned on the Chenab River. The project is located in Kishtwar district, Jammu & Kashmir. It is a run-of-river hydropower project. The planned reservoir capacity is 51.26 million cubic metres.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently launched the Land Port Management System (LPMS) – ‘VINIMAY’ in New Delhi. The system has been developed by the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) to modernize and strengthen border management. LPMS aims to facilitate secure and efficient movement of people and goods across India’s land borders while enhancing trade and connectivity. It is designed to meet the requirements of all stakeholders with a strong focus on security and seamless operations.

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The first harvest of green peas under Project Hinichi has been successfully completed in Churachandpur district, Manipur. Project Hinichi is a joint initiative launched by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Manipur Police. Project Hinichi aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and reduce illicit poppy cultivation through alternative cropping. Under the initiative, 254 acres of land previously used for illegal poppy farming have been converted for legal agriculture. More than 124 households in Churachandpur district have benefited from the project.

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The Ministry of Women and Child Development highlighted policy measures under Mission Shakti, aimed at strengthening women’s safety, dignity, and participation through integrated scheme convergence. A key initiative is the SHe-Box (Sexual Harassment electronic Box) portal, which operationalises the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 (SH Act). It was launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The upgraded SHe-Box 2.0, launched on 29 August 2024, provides a single-window system for women across public, private, organised, and unorganised sectors to report workplace harassment. It enables complaint tracking, coordination among authorities, and improved monitoring of cases.

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The Periyar River was recently in news after the Kerala High Court emphasized the need for a unified authority to monitor its cleanliness. It is the longest river in Kerala and is popularly known as the “Lifeline of Kerala.” The river originates from the Sivagiri Hills near the Tamil Nadu border. It flows through Periyar National Park and into Periyar Lake, an artificial reservoir. The river ultimately drains into Vembanad Lake before entering the Arabian Sea near Kochi. It is a perennial river and an important source of irrigation, hydropower, and drinking water.

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Anantnag district police, part of J&K Police, launched Project Hawk Eye for Amarnath Yatra 2026. The initiative combined drones, CCTV, facial-recognition systems and ground observation.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the pilot project of the PM Family Care Tracker in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The integrated digital platform will track the health, nutrition, and education of beneficiaries from pregnancy up to 18 years of age. It uses a unique ID linked to the Birth Registration Number or ABHA ID and integrates data from multiple government platforms. The system generates risk alerts and monitors indicators such as vaccination, malnutrition, school enrolment, and dropout rates.

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The Sujalam Sufalam Jal Abhiyan has increased Gujarat’s water storage capacity by 20,789 lakh cubic feet in 2026. It was launched in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Catch the Rain’ initiative. The campaign aims to improve groundwater levels through public participation. The campaign was launched on 23 February 2026 by Gujarat government. Over the last eight years, the initiative has increased Gujarat’s water storage capacity by 1,38,039 lakh cubic feet and generated 206.73 lakh man-days of employment.

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A banyan tree in Munger, Bihar, has been identified as the oldest accurately dated banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), with an estimated age of approx 700 years. Scientists determined its age using radiocarbon dating with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) instead of folklore or historical records. Researchers extracted alpha-cellulose from wood samples near the pith and dated them using the IntCal20 calibration curve and OxCal software. The findings disproved the belief that the tree was planted during the late Mughal–British period, showing it existed before the Burra Bunglow was built.