India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Recently, Jharkhand implemented rules under the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) after 25 years of statehood. PESA is intended to give tribal communities greater control over governance in Fifth Schedule Areas. The law empowers Gram Sabhas to manage local resources, resolve disputes, and preserve customary practices. The implementation covers 13 districts fully, with partial application in three more. Tribal leaders welcome the law but caution that administrative control may dilute true autonomy. The success of PESA will depend on effective and respectful implementation at the village level.

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Gujarat has launched Poshan Udaan 2026 during the Makar Sankranti festival to promote nutrition and health awareness across the state. The initiative uses the popular kite festival, with kites displaying nutrition and health messages, to engage communities in a symbolic and culturally rooted manner. The programme aims to highlight the importance of balanced diets and healthy practices for children, adolescent girls, and mothers. Poshan Udaan 2026 is implemented under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) framework through Anganwadi centres.

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Researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a predictive framework identifying 492 locations in the Eastern Himalayas where glacial lakes are likely to form. The study used high-resolution Google Earth images and digital elevation models to capture complex landscape features and estimate prediction uncertainties. The framework can guide early-warning systems for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and assist in planning safer sites for roads, hydropower projects, settlements, and long-term water-resource management.

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The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in collaboration with the Central Sanskrit University (CSU), successfully completed a 15-day transliteration capacity-building workshop on Ayurvedic manuscripts in Kerala. The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) functions under the Ministry of Ayush. The programme was organised under a MoU between CCRAS and CSU as part of a national initiative to document, digitise, and promote research use of classical Ayurvedic manuscripts.

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Rajasthan launched Raj-UNNATI, an initiative inspired by PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation), an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based platform. It aims to resolve delays in key projects, government schemes, and public grievances. Projects of both Central and State governments are reviewed through videoconferencing. It was launched after the Prime Minister suggested states replicate the PRAGATI model. Rajasthan is the first state to adopt it, as praised by the Cabinet Secretary.

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Madhya Pradesh has declared 2026 as the “Year of Agriculture,” announced by Governor Mangu Bhai Patel. Agriculture budget increased from ₹600 crore in 2002-03 to over ₹27,000 crore in 2024-25. A multifaceted agricultural development model with 10 activities is being implemented, including technology transfer, income enhancement, natural farming, marketing, export, innovation, and digital transparency. e-Mandi scheme covers 259 markets with 40 lakh farmers registered. Animal husbandry and milk production are being promoted; cow shelter grants doubled and 1,200 new milk cooperatives formed.

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Oil India carried out seismic studies in blocks won under the ninth round to plan bidding for the tenth round. The Open Acreage Licensing Policy was introduced by the Government of India under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy. It replaced the New Exploration and Licensing Policy that operated for over eighteen years. Under this policy, companies can choose and explore oil and gas blocks on their own. Exploration can begin without waiting for government notifications. The policy also allows access to seismic data from the National Data Repository.

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Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the ‘Samikshya’ portal for real-time monitoring of projects funded under State Finance Commission (SFC) and Central Finance Commission (CFC) grants. State Finance Commission (SFC) emphasized equity, regional disparities, and differing needs of rural and urban local bodies, offering financial and non-financial development measures. The portal aims to improve transparency, accountability, timely execution, and better service delivery of SFC- and CFC-funded works at the grassroots level.

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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized over four kilograms of Mephedrone (MD), a synthetic stimulant drug, from Sanchore in Rajasthan. The operation was conducted jointly with the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Rajasthan, and Jalore Police. Laboratory and industrial equipment used for manufacturing synthetic drugs were recovered. The crackdown was carried out under Operation PRAYOGSHALA. The seizure highlights intensified efforts to dismantle illegal synthetic drug manufacturing networks.

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Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal announced a dedicated ‘Elderly Budget’, making Kerala the first state in India to introduce such a budgetary initiative. The FY 2026–27 Budget estimates allocate ₹46,236.52 crore for senior citizens, which constitutes 19.07% of the State’s total Budget size. Around 68% of the elderly Budget allocation is projected to be spent on pensions for retired government employees, a mandatory expenditure for the State. Kerala has the highest ageing population in the country, reflecting a rapid demographic transition. The State’s elderly population increased by 47% between 2011 and 2026 (projected), compared to the all-India increase of 36%.