Current Affair Quizzes

What: WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit) 2025 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi at Jio World Centre, Mumbai (1–4 May 2025). Attended by 90+ countries and 10,000+ delegates, it adopted the WAVES Declaration signed by 77 nations and promotes the concept of the Orange Economy — the creative and cultural industries sector.

How: The summit features a Global Media Dialogue alongside trade exhibitions and co-production forums. India aims to grow its media and entertainment industry from USD 28 billion to USD 100 billion, leveraging its content creation strength, digital infrastructure, and diaspora. The tagline “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries” underscores its soft-power diplomacy angle.

Why: WAVES is relevant for UPSC GS-2 (India’s soft power, international relations) and GS-3 (creative economy, digital India). The Orange Economy concept links to cultural diplomacy and is a potential Mains essay or GS-2 topic. Banking and SSC exams may test the venue, dates, or participating nations count.

What: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved caste enumeration as part of the upcoming national census on 30 April 2025. This reverses the government’s 2021 position and will be the first comprehensive caste count since 1931. It covers all castes beyond the existing Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) data collected in every census.

How: Census is a Union subject under Article 246 read with Entry 69 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule. The caste data collected will be used to shape Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation policies and potentially revise sub-categorisation within reservations. The legal basis builds on the Supreme Court’s recent Panna Lal judgment framework on OBC data use.

Why: This is a landmark constitutional-political development tested in UPSC Prelims (Article 246, Union List entries) and Mains GS-2 (social justice, reservation policy, federalism). The 1931 reference year is a static fact frequently asked in competitive exams. It also links to the Mandal Commission legacy and evolving OBC jurisprudence.

What: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a hike in the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane to ₹355 per quintal for the 2025–26 season, up from ₹340. The FRP is set at a recovery rate of 10.25% and offers farmers a 105.2% return over their cost of production.

How: The FRP is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and approved by CCEA. It is mandated under the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966, which also requires sugar mills to pay farmers within 14 days of sugarcane delivery. The policy benefits approximately 5 crore farmers and 5 lakh sugar mill workers across India.

Why: FRP is a staple topic in UPSC Prelims (agriculture price support mechanisms) and GS-3 (agricultural economics, food processing). Distinguishing FRP from Minimum Support Price (MSP) and State Advised Price (SAP) is a frequently tested concept. CACP’s role and the 14-day payment rule under the 1966 Order are high-yield static facts.

What: The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) has been revamped with former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Alok Joshi appointed as its Chairman. The reconstituted seven-member board includes Air Marshal PM Sinha, Lieutenant General AK Singh, Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, IPS officers Rajiv Ranjan Verma and Manmohan Singh, and diplomat B. Venkatesh Varma.

How: NSAB functions under the National Security Council (NSC) and provides long-term strategic analysis to the National Security Advisor (NSA). Its revamp follows the Pahalgam terror attack and signals a focus on reassessing India’s security posture. The board draws experts from defence, intelligence, foreign policy, and internal security domains.

Why: NSAB-related questions appear in UPSC GS-3 (internal security, intelligence institutions) and GS-2 (constitutional/executive bodies). Knowing the chain — NSC → NSA → NSAB — is essential. The Pahalgam context links to GS-3 themes on cross-border terrorism, making this doubly relevant for Mains 2025.

What: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved a ₹22,864 crore greenfield highway project on National Highway-06 (NH-06) connecting Mawlyngkhung in Meghalaya to Panchgram in Assam. The 166.80 km corridor (144.80 km in Meghalaya, 22 km in Assam) will be built under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) of public-private partnership.

How: Under HAM, the government pays 40% of the project cost during construction while the remaining 60% is recovered through annuities paid to the developer over the concession period. This reduces upfront financial burden while ensuring private sector efficiency. The highway will directly connect Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and the Barak Valley region to the national highway grid.

Why: NE infrastructure is a recurring GS-3 (infrastructure, regional development) and GS-2 (centre-state relations, NE development) topic. HAM as a PPP model is tested in UPSC Prelims. The Act East Policy and NE Vision 2047 connect this project to India’s foreign policy and internal development goals — making it a Mains-worthy multi-GS topic.

What: May 1, 2025 marks the 65th Foundation Day of both Maharashtra and Gujarat. The two states were carved out of the erstwhile Bombay State on 1 May 1960 through the States Reorganisation Act framework, based on the linguistic reorganisation principle. Maharashtra’s capital is Mumbai and Gujarat’s capital is Gandhinagar.

How: The bifurcation followed demands by Marathi-speaking populations for a separate Maharashtra (Samyukta Maharashtra Movement) and Gujarati-speaking populations for Gujarat. The States Reorganisation Commission (1953) and the subsequent States Reorganisation Act (1956) established linguistic states as the basis for state formation in India, a principle later applied to Bombay State’s division.

Why: This is a static GK staple tested across UPSC Prelims, SSC, banking, and state PSC exams — particularly Maharashtra and Gujarat state PSCs. Key facts: 1960 bifurcation, Bombay State origin, capitals, and the linguistic reorganisation backdrop. The States Reorganisation Commission (Fazl Ali Commission) is a high-yield Polity topic connecting to Articles 2, 3, and 4 of the Constitution.