India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Tribal Health Resource Centre in BR Hills, Karnataka, launched Kaanu, a South Indian Adivasi Knowledge Centre, on August 25. “Kaanu” means “evergreen forest” in Kannada and Soliga. Kaanu aims to be the first knowledge center dedicated to the past, present, and culture of South Indian Adivasi communities. It will have three branches: a library, an annotated bibliography, and a co-written book. The Kaanu Library will be inaugurated, and the bibliography will be available online in September. This initiative was started by Adivasi leaders, scholars, and researchers with long-term connections to these communities.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the creation of five new districts in Ladakh. The new districts are Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra, and Changthang. This decision aims to improve governance and bring benefits closer to the people.
Ladakh, previously with two districts (Leh and Kargil), is large and sparsely populated. The new districts will help implement public welfare schemes more effectively. The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Ladakh administration to form a committee to plan the new districts, including details like headquarters and boundaries, and submit a report within three months.

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A 100-metre steel bridge was inaugurated in Silvassa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. Constructed by the National High-Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRC) and made in Japan, this bridge is a key milestone. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train will greatly cut travel time between the two cities. This development represents a major leap forward for India’s high-speed rail infrastructure and transportation sector.

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Rajasthan launched the Ayushman Jeevan Raksha Yojana to encourage quick help for road accident victims. Under this scheme, people who take accident victims to hospitals quickly will receive Rs 10,000 and a citation. To get the reward, individuals must also provide necessary personal details. The scheme is funded by the Dedicated Road Safety Fund. The goal is to improve emergency response times and reduce road accident deaths. This initiative shows Rajasthan’s commitment to improving road safety and supporting accident victims.

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Ministry of Law and Justice launched the new Notary Portal in New Delhi, enhancing digital services in line with Digital India. The portal offers a paperless, faceless, and efficient system, benefiting both notaries and the public. It provides online services, including applications for appointment as notaries, issuance and renewal of Certificates of Practice, change of practice area, and submission of annual returns. Notaries can now submit applications online, monitor their progress, and download digitally signed Certificates of Practice via Digilocker, eliminating the need for physical submissions.

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The Ministry of Labor and Employment has approved the Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS) for the Employees’ Pension Scheme. CPPS will create a national system allowing pensioners to receive their pensions from any bank branch across India. Currently, the pension system is decentralized, with each regional EPFO office working with only a few banks. CPPS will be launched as part of EPFO’s Centralized IT Enabled System (CITES 2.01) on January 1, 2025. In the future, CPPS will support a transition to an Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS).

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The Minister of State for Tourism in Kerala has pledged to replace a statue of Sakthan Thampuran that was damaged by a state transport bus. Sakthan Thampuran, also known as Raja Rama Varma Kunjipillai or Rama Varma IX, ruled the Cochin kingdom from 1790 to 1805. Born in 1751 to the Cochin royal family, he was raised by an aunt who named him Sakthan, meaning ‘powerful.’ The term ‘thampuran’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘samrat,’ meaning emperor. The Cochin kingdom was part of the Late Chera Empire and included regions in present-day Kerala.

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The canal network connected to Hirakud Dam, a major project in eastern India, is set for renovation. Hirakud Dam is the longest dam in India and the longest earthen dam in the world, with a length of 25.79 km. It is built across the Mahanadi River, 15 km upstream of Sambalpur, Odisha. The dam creates the Hirakud Reservoir, the largest artificial lake in Asia, covering 746 sq. km. Inaugurated in 1957, it was India’s first major post-independence multipurpose river valley project. It provides irrigation for 1,55,635 hectares in Kharif and 1,08,385 hectares in Rabi seasons, with a power generation capacity of 359.8 MW.

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The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare launched the online platform ‘Anubhav’ on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction. This platform allows retiring and retired government employees to share their work experiences. An Annual Awards Scheme was created in 2015 to encourage submissions, resulting in 10,886 published write-ups. So far, 78 outstanding write-ups have received 59 Anubhav Awards and 19 Jury Certificates. The National Anubhav Awards Scheme 2025 invites Central Government employees and pensioners to submit their write-ups for awards. For the first time, employees from Central Public Sector Undertakings will also be eligible to participate. The submission period for pensioners has been extended from one year to three years post-retirement.

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A new Centre of Excellence in Ayurveda Research will be established at CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Pappanamcode, Kerala. This center aims to scientifically test and validate Ayurvedic products to meet international standards. It will ensure that Ayurvedic formulations meet international quality, safety, and efficacy standards. This initiative is crucial for supporting Ayush enterprises and positioning Kerala as a hub for high-quality Ayurvedic products, amid the growing global acceptance of Ayurveda in modern health-care systems