India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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Paathara practice, also called Khoni, is an ancient method of storing grains in underground pits. It was followed by farmers along the Mahendratanaya River in the Uddanam region of Srikakulam district near the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border. Freshly harvested paddy was stored in rectangular pits plastered with straw and clay. The pit was sealed with cow dung to protect grains from moisture, rodents, and theft. Paathara was built in front of thatched houses and supported joint family food security. The tradition is declining due to lack of space, awareness, and changing rural housing styles.

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The Department of Science and Technology (DST) strengthened India–Netherlands cooperation by launching the India–Netherlands Hydrogen Fellowship Programme and enabling an academic partnership in green energy. The fellowship is a national capacity-building initiative open to Indian doctoral, postdoctoral, and faculty researchers. It focuses on hydrogen system integration, safety, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, and indigenisation. DST also hosted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University of Groningen and 19 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

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Shri Jitin Prasada, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Electronics and Information Technology, inaugurated the Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Lab Automation Portal – SATYA. SATYA is a digital initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to improve transparency and service delivery. The portal brings all STQC certification services onto a single, user-friendly digital platform. It ensures faster, predictable, and transparent certification for citizens, industry, startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and government bodies.

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India’s first national Cow Culture Museum has been set up by Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad in Mathura. It will be built on Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Veterinary Science University campus and land has been selected. The museum will highlight religious, cultural, spiritual and scientific importance of cows. Around 100 digital and symbolic models of major and endangered cattle breeds will be displayed. The project promotes cow conservation, cow-based economy and scientific standards under state government guidance.

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The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog launched AI-Preneurs of India, a coffee table book on 45 Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups. It was unveiled at the India AI Impact Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. This is the 7th edition of AIM’s Innovations For You series. Startups featured work in healthcare, education, sustainability, mobility, deep tech, and social impact. The book highlights purpose-driven, inclusive, and ethical AI innovation. It reflects support from Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) across India. The initiative positions India as a global contributor in responsible AI development.

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Kavach 4.0 has been successfully commissioned on 1,452 route km of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors. Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that prevents train collisions by automatically controlling speed and braking if the loco pilot fails. It is developed by Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with Indian industry. The system aims for Zero Accidents by preventing Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), controlling overspeeding, and ensuring safety in adverse weather like fog.

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A Mumbai-headquartered defence company, Sagar Defence Engineering, held the stone-breaking ceremony for the world’s first Autonomous Maritime Shipbuilding and Systems Centre at Juvvaladinne fishing harbour, Andhra Pradesh. The project is a major step in strengthening India’s indigenous defence manufacturing and advancing the nation’s maritime technological capabilities. The Andhra Pradesh government allocated 29.58 acres of land at the fishing harbour in Nellore district, providing direct sea access for vessel construction, launch, testing, and deployment. The initiative aligns with the state government’s vision to enhance India’s marine technology ecosystem and build advanced manufacturing capabilities along the coastline.

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Bharat-VISTAAR (Virtually Integrated System to Access Agricultural Resources) is a multilingual Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Digital Public Infrastructure platform announced in the Union Budget 2026–27 with an allocation of ₹150 crore. It has been launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare as a nationwide voice-first AI system to provide real-time, location-specific and personalised agricultural advisories to farmers. The platform integrates government databases and scientific practices from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to deliver information on crop management, weather updates, market prices, pest and disease alerts, and soil health insights.

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Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare announced a Banana Cluster project in Jalgaon, Maharashtra to improve production, storage and processing facilities. The project will develop planting material, pre-cooling units, cold chains and food processing, and promote Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), mechanisation and biocontrol. Financial support will be provided under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). Jalgaon is known as the “Banana City of India”, contributing ~16% of national production, supported by black cotton soil, tropical climate and drip irrigation.

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Ministry of Rural Development launched a comprehensive Internal Audit Portal to digitize audit processes and improve transparency. It has been developed by National Informatics Centre, the portal provides real-time, centralized tracking of audits across departments. The portal ensures 365-day monitoring of compliance, strengthens governance, and reduces the compliance gap.