Daily Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC – April 2025

Correct answer: B. Barmer
Notes: On April 8, 2025, Barmer in Rajasthan recorded an extreme temperature of 46.4°C, the highest across India during an early-season heatwave. This heatwave, impacting Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, raised health alerts and forced local authorities to issue advisories urging people to stay indoors during peak hours. Barmer’s location in the arid Thar Desert region makes it particularly vulnerable to high temperatures. This early spike in temperature in April is being attributed to both natural heat patterns and intensifying climate change effects, which are resulting in longer and more severe heatwaves across the Indian subcontinent.

Correct answer: B. Made Marathi a mandatory core subject across all boards
Notes: Starting from the academic year 2025-26, the Maharashtra government mandated Marathi as a compulsory core subject in all schools, irrespective of the board or medium of instruction. This decision aims to promote the Marathi language and culture among students. Previously, due to pandemic-related concessions, Marathi was treated as a graded subject in certain cases. The new policy requires students to appear for Marathi language exams, with their performance evaluated based on marks, ensuring uniformity and giving due importance to the language in the educational curriculum.

Correct answer: B. NTPC
Notes: In January 2025, NTPC, in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), showcased its long-haul hydrogen fuel cell electric bus at Mahakumbh 2025. This initiative aimed to demonstrate NTPC’s commitment to green mobility solutions. The hydrogen bus, capable of storing up to 50 kg of hydrogen and traveling over 600 km on a single refueling, emits only water vapor, highlighting its environmental benefits. This display was part of NTPC’s broader efforts to promote clean energy and sustainable transportation in India.

Correct answer: B. Odisha
Notes: In December 2024, NTPC signed a tripartite MoU with GRIDCO, a Government of Odisha undertaking, and Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), the state’s public transit agency, to promote green hydrogen mobility in Bhubaneswar. Under this agreement, NTPC will establish a green hydrogen fueling station and deploy hydrogen-powered buses for both short-haul and long-haul operations. This initiative aims to phase out fossil fuel-powered buses in favor of cleaner fuels, contributing to decarbonization and energy security in the region.

Correct answer: A. To test hydrogen fuel in high-altitude conditions
Notes: NTPC launched a green hydrogen mobility project in Leh, Ladakh, to test the viability of hydrogen fuel cell buses in high-altitude and low-temperature conditions. The project includes a 1.7 MW solar plant, a green hydrogen filling station with an 80 kg/day capacity, and five hydrogen intra-city buses. Each bus can cover 300 km on a single filling of 25 kg hydrogen. This initiative aims to demonstrate the feasibility of green hydrogen as a clean energy source in challenging terrains.

Correct answer: A. Visakhapatnam
Notes: On January 8, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for NTPC Green Energy Limited’s Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This ambitious project, with an investment of ₹1.85 lakh crore, aims to establish one of India’s largest integrated green hydrogen production facilities. The hub will encompass 20 GW of renewable energy capacities and produce 1,500 tonnes per day of green hydrogen, along with derivatives like green methanol, green urea, and sustainable aviation fuel. The initiative is a significant step towards achieving India’s non-fossil energy capacity target of 500 GW by 2030 and underscores the country’s commitment to sustainable energy solutions.

Correct answer: B. Bihar
Notes: The Bihar government has launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyami Yojana’ in April 2025, aimed at empowering women through financial assistance for entrepreneurial ventures. Under this scheme, eligible women entrepreneurs can receive up to ₹10 lakh as support, with 50% as a grant and 50% as an interest-free loan. The scheme encourages rural and urban women to pursue business opportunities and aims to boost the state’s micro and small enterprise sector while promoting gender equality.

Correct answer: D. UAE
Notes: India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement in April 2025 to enhance strategic collaboration in maritime security, defence industry, and joint military training. This agreement is part of India’s broader “Act West” policy to strengthen its presence and partnerships in the Gulf region. The two countries will focus on joint exercises, defence production, and sharing of strategic intelligence, reinforcing regional peace and stability.

Correct answer: D. IndiaAI
Notes: IndiaAI, an integrated AI platform launched by MeitY in April 2025, aims to promote responsible artificial intelligence development in India. The platform focuses on inclusive growth by supporting startups, funding AI research centers, and providing a collaborative ecosystem. With a ₹10,000 crore allocation under the IndiaAI Mission, it aligns with India’s vision of becoming a global AI hub while ensuring ethical and secure AI deployment in governance, education, and health sectors.

Correct answer: A. Brazil
Notes: Brazil hosted the 2025 G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro from April 16–18, 2025. Key topics included the global economic recovery, climate change, multilateral cooperation, and reform of international financial institutions. India played an active role in advocating for reforms in global governance and greater representation of developing countries. Brazil’s presidency is seen as pivotal for shaping inclusive and sustainable economic frameworks post-COVID and amid geopolitical tensions.

Correct answer: C. Jyothi Yarraji
Notes: Jyothi Yarraji, the hurdler-turned-sprinter, broke the national record in the 100m sprint at the 2025 National Athletics Championship held in Chennai. She clocked an impressive 11.17 seconds, surpassing the previous record. Her consistent performance in both hurdles and sprints has made her a standout athlete for India ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024. Her success reflects India’s growing talent pool in track and field sports.

Correct answer: C. My Health, My Right
Notes: The World Health Organization (WHO) observed World Health Day on April 7, 2025, with the theme “My Health, My Right.” The theme emphasizes health as a fundamental human right and advocates for access to quality healthcare, safe environments, clean water, and essential services for all. It also addresses rising health inequalities and the importance of sustainable health systems globally, especially after COVID-19’s long-term impact on global health structures.

Correct answer: B. Karnataka
Notes: In April 2025, Karnataka launched a first-of-its-kind digital property verification system that links land records with Aadhaar authentication. This system aims to prevent land fraud and provide faster property transactions. Citizens can now verify ownership and encumbrances online. The initiative is part of the state’s broader digitization effort under the Bhoomi Project and the central Digital India mission, enhancing transparency and governance in real estate.

Correct answer: D. HCLTech
Notes: HCLTech announced a ₹2,000 crore AI innovation fund in April 2025 to promote the development of AI-based solutions and support Indian startups. The fund will focus on AI applications in cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing, and finance. This step aligns with India’s AI-first approach and fosters a collaborative ecosystem to boost digital transformation and job creation, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Correct answer: C. Ethiopia
Notes: India and Ethiopia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2025 to promote agricultural cooperation, especially in the domain of millet production and digital farming technologies. As part of India’s “Millet Diplomacy” under the International Year of Millets (2023-2025), this partnership includes training programs, equipment exports, and joint research to improve food security in Africa while strengthening South-South Cooperation.

Correct answer: D. New Delhi
Notes: The National Conference on Election Funding and Reforms was held in New Delhi on April 20, 2025, with participation from the Election Commission, NGOs, civil society, and legal experts. Discussions revolved around transparency in political funding, regulation of electoral bonds, and criminalization in politics. Recommendations for stronger disclosure norms and public funding of elections were presented to the Law Commission for future electoral reforms.