India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Government of India launched State-Level Watershed Mahotsav 2025 and Mission Watershed PUNARUTTHAN at Kohima, Nagaland, to revive traditional water bodies, restore degraded lands, and strengthen water-harvesting systems for long-term water security. The mission focuses on community participation and convergence with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to ensure sustainable rural livelihoods. Minister of State (MoS) Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar stated that “water security is national security” and highlighted the importance of preserving natural resources for future generations. Nagaland is leading community-driven watershed management through restoration of springs, renovation of water-harvesting structures, and rejuvenation of land resources.

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India inaugurated the world’s highest war memorial in Ladakh to honor the 20 soldiers who died in the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese forces on 15 June 2020. It was built under the Bharat Ranbhoomi Darshan initiative. It is made of red and black granite symbolizing sacrifice and valor, and designed in the shape of a trishul and damru reflecting divine energy and the Himalayas.

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The Union Government launched a ₹476.03 crore Central Sector Scheme for holistic development of the makhana sector during the first meeting of the National Makhana Board. National Makhana Board was established as announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, aiming to modernize and strengthen India’s makhana industry. The Board is headquartered in Purnea, Bihar, a major hub for makhana cultivation. The initiative focuses on improving production, processing, marketing, and export potential of makhana, supporting farmers and the agri-based economy.

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On New Year, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) launched Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), also called Wi-Fi Calling, across all telecom circles in India. VoWiFi allows voice calls and messages over a Wi-Fi network using the same mobile number and dialer. It works well in weak mobile signal areas like homes, basements, offices, and remote regions. The service is Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-based, supporting smooth Wi-Fi to mobile handover. VoWiFi is free of cost, reduces network congestion, and supports rural connectivity with broadband access.

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The President of India graced a special programme under Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) Programme. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The programme aims to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning into school education and training systems. It prepares students and teachers for a fast-changing digital world and AI-based careers. The government has allocated ₹500 crore to set up a Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence for Education.

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The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), in collaboration with the Keyi Panyor district administration, is developing India’s first “Bio-Happy District” in Arunachal Pradesh. It will focus on resident livelihoods, agro-biodiversity, and other ecological aspects within the district. Biohappiness, a concept coined by late agricultural scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, refers to well-being arising from biodiversity conservation and its use to improve human health, nutrition, and livelihoods. The concept emphasizes creating harmony between people and nature.

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The Department of Financial Services launched the Paripoorna Mediclaim Ayush Bima for Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) beneficiaries. The insurance policy provides cashless facilities, modern treatments, and access to a wide network of hospitals. It is exclusively for CGHS beneficiaries, covering a maximum of six members per policy. The policy offers indemnity-based in-patient hospitalisation coverage within India, with sum insured options of ₹10 Lakh or ₹20 Lakh. A co-payment option allows beneficiaries to choose 70:30 or 50:50 cost-sharing between insurance companies and subscribers.

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Recently, Odisha launched the five-year scheme ‘Aame Padhiba Aama Bhasare’ to promote women empowerment and early childhood education. The scheme provides education for children aged 3–6 years in their mother tongue, aligning with the National Education Policy, 2020. Anganwadi workers will receive language-specific training, educational materials, and audio-visual content. Odisha also launched a 100-day campaign to prevent child marriage and a pilot project to prevent teenage pregnancy and support teenage mothers.

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The Minister of State for Education informed that in West Bengal only 52 government schools out of over 82,000 have been onboarded under Vidyanjali initiative. Around 2,000 students from West Bengal are registered as volunteers under the scheme. Limited participation has affected students’ access to full benefits of the initiative. Vidyanjali is a Ministry of Education programme to strengthen schools through community and private sector participation. It connects schools with volunteers like professionals, retired teachers, Indian diaspora, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and companies.

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Mumbai’s Coastal Road has introduced India’s first musical road, showcasing an innovative blend of infrastructure and technology to enhance public experience. A 500-metre stretch between Nariman Point and Worli, named Sangeet Marg, plays the Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho” when vehicles travel at a speed of 60–80 km per hour. The musical effect is created using specially engineered rumble strips carved into the asphalt at precise intervals. The concept is based on Hungarian technology and has already been implemented in countries such as Hungary, Japan, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates.