India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

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The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) launched Operation Sahyadri Checkmate based on developed intelligence. A clandestine mobile mephedrone manufacturing laboratory was dismantled in the Sahyadri ranges, disguised as a poultry farm. The lab frequently shifted locations to evade detection and was fully operational for producing Mephedrone (a narcotic under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act). The operation highlights DRI’s role in disrupting organized drug trafficking and protecting public health, law and order, and economic stability.

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment launched the e-Shram portal (eshram.gov.in) on 26 August 2021 to create a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) including platform and migrant workers. The portal registers unorganised workers and issues a Universal Account Number (UAN) on a self-declaration basis. NITI Aayog estimated 7.7 million workers in 2020-21, rising to 23.5 million by 2029-30. Budget 2025-26 includes identity cards and Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) healthcare coverage. This information was provided by Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha

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India launched its first pilot for an Artificial Intelligence (AI)–enabled university at Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU), Meerut. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) partnered with Google Cloud and CCSU for this initiative. The project was announced at Google’s AI for Learning Forum in Delhi. Google Cloud’s Gemini platform will support teaching, learning, and university administration. Students will get personalised AI tutors, skill-gap analysis, and career-linked learning support.

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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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To address malnutrition, Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent Girls have been merged under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by States and Union Territories (UTs) for children under 6, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region. The mission focuses on reducing malnutrition, anaemia, stunting and wasting through community engagement and behavioural change. Supplementary Nutrition is provided as per National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 with revised balanced norms. Poshan Tracker monitors real-time data on nutrition indicators.

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Kerala approved India’s first comprehensive graphene policy to become a global hub for research, development, and production of graphene. The Union Cabinet approved Grefine Park as the first major step. The state offers a 50% subsidy on lease payments for manufacturing units in government parks. Plans include a graphene industrial park in Palakkad and a Digital Innovation Centre with ₹200 crore investment. The policy promotes collaboration with University of Oxford and University of Manchester.

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Gujarat is establishing its first hi-tech nursery in Davas village, Deesa taluka, Banaskantha district to boost afforestation and conserve rare plant species. The project will cover 13 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore, implemented by the Gujarat Forest Department and Social Forestry Department, under Forest and Environment Minister Pravin Mali. The nursery aims to produce high-quality, disease-free, and robust saplings using advanced technologies, controlled environments, and scientific cultivation methods.

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Telangana launched the “Stand with Her” campaign to establish the state as the safest for women. The campaign encourages youth to act as brand ambassadors for women’s safety. It emphasizes that true protection comes from social responsibility, not only from legislation. The initiative promotes a collective fight against gender discrimination.

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The Gujarat Urban Development Mission launched the ‘Lake and Air Watch’ initiative to monitor lake health and air quality in cities. It is a technology-driven environmental monitoring programme under the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department of Gujarat. Satellite technology will track lake area changes, algae growth, waste accumulation and water quality indicators. Real-time AQI (Air Quality Index) monitoring stations will be installed in 17 municipal corporations and 152 municipal areas. An automated alert system will warn authorities when air pollution rises or lake conditions worsen.

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Masi Magam is an important festival in the Tamil calendar, holding deep cultural and identity significance for the Irular community. The Irulars are a Dravidian ethnic group, mainly living in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. They are considered one of India’s oldest indigenous communities and are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Tamil Nadu. They also identify as Erlar or Poosari, while others call them Irulas, Shikari, Pujari or Eralollu.