India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Sikkim recently celebrated Tendong Lho Rum Faat, a nature-worshipping festival of the primitive Lepcha tribe. The Lepchas are indigenous people of eastern Nepal, western Bhutan, Sikkim, and Darjeeling district of West Bengal. They are classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Sikkim and call themselves ‘Rongs’ or ‘Rongkups’. They speak Lepcha language with a script based on Sanskrit. They were originally nature worshipers but later embraced Buddhism.

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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.

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Recently, the Delhi government launched the “Delhi Mitra” app to register public grievances. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. It will work as a single-window system integrating Delhi Government, Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Cantonment. Citizens will receive stage-wise updates of their complaints through messages and can also file complaints via WhatsApp.

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Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported that 18 Garima Grehs are functional across 15 States/UTs. 3 new Garima Grehs have been approved for FY 2025–26. Garima Greh is a shelter home initiative for transgender persons, supported by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (DoSJE). It provides food, shelter, medical care, counselling, yoga, meditation, and recreational facilities. It focuses on capacity building, skill development, and livelihood training for mainstreaming transgender persons.

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Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to dissolve its Madrasa Board and introduce a comprehensive Minority Educational Institutions Act. The Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025. The Bill proposes to repeal the Madrasa Board and rules governing minority-run institutions. It aims to extend Minority Educational Institutions (MEI) status to communities beyond Muslims, including Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and Parsis.

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National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with Vertis Infrastructure Trust, launched ‘Project Aarohan’ to support the education of children of toll plaza employees. It aims to remove financial barriers, bridge socio-economic gaps, and provide quality education to students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), minority communities, and first-generation learners. The project will support 500 students from Class 11 to graduation with annual scholarships of Rs. 12,000 each. Fifty bright students aspiring for postgraduate studies will receive scholarships of Rs. 50,000 each. Project Aarohan combines financial aid with mentorship, skill-building workshops, career guidance, and long-term progress tracking.

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The Uttar Pradesh Transport Department recently launched the Sadak Suraksha Mitra (SSM) programme. It is initiated under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to engage youth in road safety. It aims to reduce traffic accidents, improve emergency response, and enhance citizen safety. The policy follows a ‘zero risk, zero friction’ approach. The programme will cover 28 districts including Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow, Agra, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur, Mathura, Aligarh, and others.

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Indian researchers have recently discovered fossilised remains of a rare crocodile-like creature in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan. The fossil belongs to a phytosaur, a semi-aquatic reptile and ancestor of modern crocodiles, measuring 1.5–2 metres and over 200 million years old. It was found in Megha village within the Lathi Formation, a geological structure from the late Triassic–early Jurassic period. The discovery was led by a senior hydrogeologist and confirmed by palaeontologists, who also identified a possible fossilised egg. The area could become a hub for fossil tourism due to its rich palaeontological potential.

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Personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Chhattisgarh Police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were felicitated in New Delhi for ‘Operation Black Forest’. ‘Operation Black Forest’ is the biggest anti-Naxal operation ever on Karreguttalu hill along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The operation destroyed a major Naxal base camp, including material dumps and supply chains, despite extreme heat, high altitude, and threats from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The government aims to make India Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.

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Union Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs said MY Bharat Aapda Mitras will assist in flood rescue in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. MY Bharat is an autonomous body under the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It targets youth aged 15-29 years, providing resources, mentorship, learning opportunities, and industry connections to build Viksit Bharat. Aapda Mitras are trained by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) under the Aapda Mitra programme.