Current Affair MCQ for 2025-05-08

Notes: Iran recently unveiled a new solid-fuel ballistic missile named Ghassem Basir. It is a Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) developed to strike targets over 1,200 kilometers away. The missile is about 11 meters long and weighs around 7 tons. It uses carbon fiber composite material for its body, making it lighter and harder to detect by radar. It runs on solid fuel, making it quicker to launch and easier to store than liquid-fuel missiles. It can reach speeds up to Mach 12. A thermal imaging sensor helps it track targets using heat in the final phase of flight. It has a Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle (MaRV) that detaches mid-flight to avoid radar and improve accuracy. It can be launched from mobile Transporter-Erector-Launchers (TELs), even from vehicles that look like civilian trucks.

Notes: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will soon launch a new digital platform called ECINET to streamline electoral services. ECINET is a single-point user-friendly interface for voters, election officials, political parties, and civil society. It will integrate over 40 existing mobile and web apps of the ECI into one platform. Popular apps like Voter Helpline, Voter Turnout, cVIGIL, Suvidha 2.0, Electoral Search and Management System (ESMS), Saksham, and Know Your Candidate (KYC) will be merged into ECINET. It will offer a clean User Interface (UI) and smooth User Experience (UX), reducing the need to download multiple apps. ECINET will follow the Representation of the People Act 1950, 1951, and related rules and guidelines.

Notes: A recent census shows that Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai is home to at least 54 leopards, showing how wildlife can coexist with urban life. SGNP is a large protected area near Borivali, in the northern part of Mumbai, Maharashtra. It spreads across both Thane District and Mumbai Suburban District. Earlier known as Krishnagiri National Park, it was renamed Borivali National Park in 1974 and later Sanjay Gandhi National Park in 1981 to honour Sanjay Gandhi. It covers an area of 103 square kilometres, making it one of the largest parks within any city in the world. The park houses the ancient Kanheri Caves, carved by Buddhist monks between the 1st and 10th century CE.

Notes: A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a weekly dose of semaglutide shows strong results in treating Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH). Semaglutide is a Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, first developed to treat Type 2 diabetes. It is the main ingredient in medicines like Ozempic, used for diabetes, and Wegovy, used for weight loss. MASH is a severe type of fatty liver disease caused by metabolic problems and not by alcohol. It involves fat buildup, inflammation, and liver scarring, and is linked to obesity, diabetes, and overnutrition. If not treated, MASH can lead to cirrhosis or liver failure.

Notes: World Asthma Day 2025 is observed on 6th May, which is the first Tuesday of May. It is a global event organized every year by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to raise awareness about asthma. The day focuses on educating people about asthma, its triggers, and how it affects daily life. It began in 1998 during the first World Asthma Meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The theme for World Asthma Day 2025 is “Make Inhaled Treatments Accessible for ALL”. This theme highlights the urgent need for everyone with asthma to access inhaled medicines for better control. Asthma is a chronic disease where the lung airways become narrow, swollen, and produce extra mucus.