Daily Current Affairs Quiz: May 27, 2025

Answer: C

Current Context: The Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, inaugurated two state-of-the-art facilities—Sagar Bhavan and Polar Bhavan—at the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) in Vasco da Gama, Goa.

About NCPOR:

• Established:1998 as an autonomous R&D institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Formerly Known As:National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).
• Location:Vasco da Gama, Goa.
• Nodal Agency:For planning and executing polar expeditions in the Antarctic, Arctic, Southern Ocean, and Himalayas.
• Research Coordination:Oversees scientific research and logistics in polar and oceanic domains.

India’s Expanding Polar Footprint:

 Research Stations Maintained by NCPOR:

Antarctica:

• Maitri and Bharati stations.

Arctic:

• Himadri station in Svalbard, Norway.

Himalayas:

• Himansh station in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

Answer: B

Current Context: Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment in the case of K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu, affirming that maternity leave is an essential component of a woman’s reproductive rights, thereby reinforcing the constitutional and human rights of working women.

About:

Background of the Case:

• The petitioner, a government school teacher in Tamil Nadu, was denied maternity leave for her third child, citing the state’s policy limiting benefits to women with only two children.
• The Madras High Court’s Division Bench upheld this denial, leading to an appeal in the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court’s Ruling:

• The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s decision, stating that maternity leave is not merely a matter of social justice or fairness but a fundamental right tied to human dignity and constitutional protections.
• The Court emphasized that reproductive rights are integral to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution and cannot be overridden by state policies aimed at population control.

Constitutional and Human Rights Implications:

• The judgment reinforces a woman’s right to reproductive choice, linking it to the right to health, privacy, dignity, and equality.
• It underscores the government’s duty to ensure gender justice and workplace equality, aligning with international human rights standards.

Key Provisions:

Maternity Leave:

• 26 weeks of paid leave for women with less than two surviving children.
• 12 weeks for women with two or more children.

Adoptive and Commissioning Mothers:

• 12 weeks of maternity leave for women who adopt a child below the age of three months and for commissioning mothers (biological mothers who use surrogacy).

Crèche Facility:

• Mandatory for establishments with 50 or more employees to provide a crèche facility within a prescribed distance.
• Work from Home: Provision for work-from-home options post maternity leave, based on mutual agreement between employer and employee.

Answer: B

Current Context: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) invited applications under the “Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters” (APC) as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

About PMKSY:

• Launch Year:2017
• Type:Central Sector Scheme
• Objective:To create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

Key Components:

• Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
• Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC)
• Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities
• Operation Greens
• Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme

About Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro Processing Clusters (APC):

• Objective: To develop modern infrastructure and common facilities to encourage groups of entrepreneurs to set up food processing units based on a cluster approach.
• Features:
• Financial Assistance:Credit-linked grants-in-aid for establishing food processing projects.
• Infrastructure Support:Development of basic infrastructure like roads, water supply, power supply, effluent treatment plants, etc.
• Common Facilities:Establishment of common facilities such as testing laboratories, cold storage, warehousing, packaging, etc.

Answer: A

Current Context: Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand has inaugurated its first community radio station, Panchshul Pulse, launched by Lt. Gen. Anindya Sengupta of the Indian Army’s Central Command.

ABOUT PANCHSHUL PULSE RADIO STATION

• Located in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
• Tagline: “Hill se Dil Tak”, highlighting emotional and cultural connection with locals.

Purpose & Significance

• An initiative under the Indian Army in collaboration with the Vibrant Villages Programme of the Government of India.
• Named after the Panchshul mountain range, symbolizing community strength.
• Aims to promote connectivity, development, and unity in border areas.

Community Engagement

• Acts as a bridge between Army, civil administration, and local population.
• Promotes goodwill, national integration, and public participation.
• Content in local dialects, with discussions on community issues.

Answer: C

Current Context: Indian shooter Kanak Budhwar won gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event at the ISSF Junior World Cup 2025 held in Suhl, Germany.

Event Details

• Event: ISSF Junior World Cup 2025
• Location: Suhl, Germany
• Category: Women’s 10-metre air pistol

Answer: A

Current Context: India has surpassed Japan to become the fourth-largest economy globally, as per the IMF’s World Economic Outlook (April 2025).

ABOUT INDIA’S ECONOMIC RANKING

• ❖ Global GDP Ranking (2025)

1. USA: $30.51 trillion
2. China: $19.23 trillion
3. Germany: $4.74 trillion
4. India: $4.187 trillion
5. Japan: $4.186 trillion
6. UK: $3.38 trillion

• Economic Forecast
• India’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,187.017 billion
• Japan’s GDP (FY 2026): Estimated at $4,186.431 billion
• Source: IMF World Economic Outlook (April 2025)
• Growth Projections
• 2025:2%
• 2026:3%

Answer: D

Current Context: The Solan Municipal Corporation secured the top rank in the Swachh Shehar–Samridh Shehar rankings among the eight municipal corporations in Himachal Pradesh.

ABOUT SWACHH SHEHAR RANKING

• Rankings (State Level – Himachal Pradesh)

1. Solan – 1st position
2. Dharamsala – 2nd position
3. Palampur – 3rd position

• Objective
• Part of Urban Cleanliness initiatives
• Aims to promote sustainable sanitation and municipal performance benchmarking
• Organising Authority
• Conducted under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India
• Part of the broader Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban