Daily Current Affairs Quiz: April 12, 2025

Answer: B

Current Context: The Himalayan High-Altitude Atmospheric & Climate Centre was inaugurated on 25th March 2025 in Nathatop, Jammu & Kashmir to boost high-altitude climate research.

Key Facts:

• Location: Nathatop, Udhampur (Altitude: 2,250 m) – ideal for clean-air atmospheric studies.
• Led by: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), with Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Forest Department & Central University of Jammu (CUJ).
• Goal: Accurate weather forecasting, climate modelling, and aerosol-cloud interaction research.
• Project ICE-CRUNCH: Indian and Swiss Collaboration for Exploring Cloud Nucleating Characteristics.
• Global Link: Part of World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) Programme.
• Capacity Building: Will train young scientists and students in atmospheric sciences.

Answer: B

Current Context: The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have launched Phase 2 of the “Niveshak Didi” initiative to improve financial literacy among women in rural and underserved areas of India.

Key Facts:

• The Niveshak Didi initiative empowers women postal workers and community leaders to act as grassroots financial educators, promoting awareness on savings, investments, fraud prevention, and digital banking.
• Phase 1 reached 55,000+ participants, 60% from rural areas.
• Phase 2 targets 4,000+ camps led by 40,000 trained women.
• IEPFA (Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority) supports the initiative to enhance responsible financial behavior and inclusion across communities.

Answer: A

Current Context: India flagged off its first all-women tri-service sailing expedition – Samudra Pradakshina – from Mumbai, promoting Nari Shakti in the Armed Forces.

Key Highlights:

• Expedition Name: Samudra Pradakshina
• Vessel: IASV Triveni (Indian Army Sailing Vessel)
• Flagged Off By: Gen. AK Ramesh, Commandant, College of Military Engineering (CME)
• Location: Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Colaba, Mumbai
• Crew: 12 women personnel from Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force
• Training: At Army Adventure Nodal Centre (AANC) for Blue Water Sailing, Marve, Mumbai
• Route: Mumbai → Seychelles → Mumbai
• Distance & Duration: 4,000 nautical miles in 55 days
• Purpose: Promote women empowerment (Nari Shakti) in the Armed Forces

Answer: B

Current Context: In 2025, Bangladesh became the 54th nation to sign the Artemis Accords, signaling its commitment to peaceful and cooperative space exploration.

About

• Launched in October 2020 by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and 8 founding nations, based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
• Aim: Promote responsible, transparent, and peaceful outer space activities.

Key Principles:

• Peaceful Exploration under international law, Transparency in scientific activities, Interoperability of space systems,Emergency Assistance to astronauts, Registration of space objects, Preservation of lunar heritage sites, Use of Space Resources for sustainability, Deconfliction to avoid interference& Orbital Debris Management

Significance for Bangladesh:

• Marks Bangladesh’s entry into global space diplomacy
• Opens doors for collaboration with NASA and Artemis member countries
• Encourages investment in space research and technology

Answer: B

Current Context: Google recently unveiled its Ironwood AI processor, focused on inference computing—a critical function for real-time applications like chatbots and virtual assistants.

Key Facts:

• Inference Computing: Refers to using trained Artificial Intelligence (AI) models to make predictions or decisions in real time.
• Design & Performance: Ironwood can scale up to 9,216 chips, offers enhanced memory, and delivers 2× energy efficiency compared to the previous Trillium chip.
• TPUs vs. Ironwood: While Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) are mostly used internally or via Google Cloud, Ironwood targets broader commercial AI applications.
• Strategic Aim: Reduces reliance on external chipmakers like Nvidia; strengthens Google’s position in the AI hardware market.

Answer: B

Current Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the Modernisation of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), starting FY 2025–26 with a budget of ₹1,600 crore.

Key Facts:

• Objectives: Improve irrigation infrastructure and water-use efficiency, focusing on small and marginal farmers.
• Technological Integration: Adoption of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and IoT (Internet of Things) to monitor and manage water use.
• Infrastructure Upgrade: Introduction of underground pressurised piped irrigation systems for last-mile connectivity (up to 1 hectare).
• Community Empowerment: Transfer of Irrigation Management (IMT) to Water User Societies (WUS) with linkages to Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS).
• Sustainable Practices: Encourages micro-irrigation, water accounting, and resource efficiency to boost productivity.
• Youth Focus: Promotes modern agri-tech to attract youth into farming.
• Pilot Phase: 78 pilot projects covering 80,000 farmers in diverse agro-climatic zones. A national plan is set to launch in April 2026 based on outcomes.

Answer: B

Current Context: The Government of India launched the Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) with an outlay of ₹22,919 crore to boost local production of passive electronic components and enhance India’s role in global supply chains.

Key Facts:

Objective:

• Develop domestic manufacturing of resistors, capacitors, inductors.
• Increase value addition and promote a self-reliant supply chain.
• Integrate Indian manufacturers into Global Value Chains (GVCs).

Incentives under ECMS:

• Employment-Linked Incentives (ELI) – to boost job creation.
• Capital Subsidies – for high Capital Expenditure (CapEx), low-turnover industries.
• Production & Turnover-Based Incentives – to increase output.
• Export Growth: In Financial Year (FY) 2025, smartphone exports crossed ₹2 lakh crore; iPhones alone contributed ₹1.5 lakh crore.
• Over a decade: 5x growth in electronics production, 6x increase in exports.

Answer: A

Current Context: The Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI), launched by the Government of India in 2025, ranks over 2.16 lakh panchayats based on their progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The initiative aims to improve transparency and accountability in local governance.

Key Facts:

• The PAI evaluates panchayats on a scale of 0 to 100.

Categories:

• Achiever (90-100): Front Runner (75-90)
• Performer (60-75): Aspirant (40-60)
• Beginner (below 40): Identifies developmental status.
• Helps local bodies assess performance and compare with peers.

Data Collection and Validation:

• Data from 55 lakh gram panchayats across 29 states and Union Territories.
• 435 unique local indicators were used for performance assessment.

Performance Statistics:

• 699 Front Runners, notably from Gujarat (346) and Telangana (270).
• 77,298 Performers and 1,32,392 Aspirants.
• No panchayat achieved the highest “Achiever” status.
• Chhattisgarh has the most Beginners, indicating areas for improvement.

Answer: B

Current Context: Amnesty International’s “Death Sentences and Executions 2024” report reveals a surge in global executions, reaching 1,518 in 2024, a 32% increase from 2023. Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia accounted for 91% of executions, largely targeting protesters and minorities.

Key Facts:

• Total Executions: 1,518 (32% rise).
• Top Executing Countries:
• Iran: 972 executions.
• Saudi Arabia: 345 executions.
• Iraq: 63 executions (increase from 16).
• Targeted Groups: Executions used against protestors and minorities, including participants of Iran’s Women, Life, Freedom protests and Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority.
• Drug-Related Executions: Over 40% of executions linked to drug offences, violating international law.

Global Trends:

• Only 15 countries executed in
• 145 countries abolished the death penalty.
• Zimbabwe abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes.

Answer: B

Current Context: Himachal Pradesh government approves installation of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at 402 locations to boost sustainable transport.

Key Highlights:

• Charging stations to be set up at:
  • 252 in Public Works Department (PWD) rest houses
  • 19 in Jal Shakti Vibhag rest houses
  • 18 at Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) premises
  • 100 in Forest Department rest houses
  • 12 at Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) office complexes
  • 1 at Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) office
• Current Scenario:
  • 4,997 EVs registered in the state
  • 23 charging stations operational at petrol pumps
  • 90 more to be added by year-end
• Additional Steps:
  • 6 highways notified as green corridors
  • Charging infra planned at Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels and private hospitality units