India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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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 Bihar government has recently launched the ‘Bihar Idea Festival’ portal to promote grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship. The portal allows students, youth, entrepreneurs, and startup teams, even from rural areas, to submit their ideas directly to the government. The portal is mobile-friendly, making it accessible to people from remote areas. The initiative aims to collect 10,000 ideas from all 38 districts of Bihar for inclusive participation.

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Maharashtra has inaugurated its first-ever glass skywalk over the Napne Waterfall in Sindhudurg district, creating a new tourism attraction. The Napne Glass Bridge was opened under the Sindhuratna tourism scheme. Napne Waterfall is a perennial waterfall located in the Konkan region of Maharashtra. The region is surrounded by dense forests, rich in biodiversity, including hornbills and exotic birds.

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Recently, under Operation ShivShakti, the Indian Army eliminated two terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir. This operation was carried out just days after Operation Mahadev, where three Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives were neutralised. Operation ShivShakti is a counter-infiltration mission to stop terrorists from crossing the LoC into Indian territory. It was conducted by the Indian Army’s White Knight Corps in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), using precise multi-agency intelligence. The mission was executed in the Degwar sector near Maldivalan, a known infiltration hotspot.

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Recently, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha about the success of the Madak-Padarth Nished Asoochna Kendra (MANAS) Helpline-1933. It was launched on 18 July 2024 by Ministry of Home Affairs. It aims to fight drug menace and enable anonymous reporting of drug trafficking, illicit cultivation, and related crimes. It is a secure, bilingual digital platform offering a confidential multi-channel interface. Citizens can report drug crimes, seek counselling via Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) Helpline 14446, and access awareness resources. It also engages citizens in Drug-Free Bharat activities via quizzes, posters, and contests on MyGov.

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has made it mandatory to submit Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) IDs for board exam registration. APAAR ID was introduced under the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to track a student’s academic journey from pre-primary to higher education. It is a lifelong unique number, linked to Digilocker, ensuring authenticity of report cards and eliminating fake certificates. The Ministry of Education mandated APAAR IDs as part of the Digital Public Infrastructure for Education. Linking will start for the 2026 board exams to improve data accuracy and remove duplication.

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The Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APSPCB) recently held a public hearing for environmental clearance of the Kalai-II Hydroelectric Project. The project is planned in Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh on the Lohit River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River. It is a 1,200 MW run-of-river with pondage hydropower project being developed by THDC India Limited (formerly Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited).

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Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav praised ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’ for transforming aspirational districts in Madhya Pradesh. The campaign improved maternal health, child immunization, soil health card distribution, electricity in schools, and timely textbook availability. It enhanced governance, administrative efficiency, and healthy competition among districts. Sampoornata Abhiyan was launched by NITI Aayog to achieve 100% saturation of 12 key social sector indicators in 500 Aspirational Blocks and 112 Aspirational Districts nationwide.

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India has rejected Nepal’s objection to the resumption of India-China border trade through Lipulekh Pass. In 2020, Nepal passed a constitutional amendment and issued a new map claiming Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani. Lipulekh Pass is a Himalayan pass located in Uttarakhand, India. It serves as a vital link between India and Tibet (China). The pass is an important part of the trade route and the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage. Lipulekh Pass is included in the Bharat Rannbhoomi Darshan initiative promoting battlefield tourism.

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Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared Kerala as the first fully digitally literate State in India. The achievement marks the completion of the first phase of the Digi Kerala project to bridge the digital divide. The project was implemented at the grassroots level across all local bodies. Surveys covered 1.5 crore people from 83.46 lakh families in the State. 21.88 lakh people were found digitally illiterate. Out of them, 21.87 lakh, or 99.98%, successfully completed training and evaluation. Kerala has presented a model worth emulating for the country.