Current Affair MCQ for 2025-07-31

Notes: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted two successful flight-tests of Pralay missile on July 28 and 29, 2025, from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. Pralay is an indigenously-developed quasi-ballistic missile with advanced guidance and navigation for high precision. It is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It uses solid propellant and can be launched from a mobile launcher. The missile has a range of 150 to 500 kilometers.

Notes: Recently, the Central government documented cultural heritage of over 4.7 lakh villages under ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ (MGMD) initiative. Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar is a pan-India initiative of Ministry of Culture under National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM). It was launched on 27th July 2023 as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The aim is to digitally map 6.5 lakh villages across all States and Union Territories. The project promotes rural culture, economic growth, social harmony, and artistic development. It is implemented by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

Notes: Recently, a Harappan site was discovered at Ratadiya Ri Dheri in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, marking the first Indus Valley settlement in the Thar Desert region. The site belongs to the mature urban phase of Indus Valley Civilization, dated between 2600 to 1900 BCE. It is a 4,500-year-old rural Harappan settlement located near the India-Pakistan border. The discovery connects earlier Harappan sites in northern Rajasthan and Gujarat, filling a major gap in the archaeological map. It provides evidence of cultural and trade continuity across desert regions of northwest India.

Notes: Recently, the Social Justice Ministry informed Parliament on July 29, 2025, that provisional award letters were issued to all 106 selected candidates under the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) scheme. The NOS scheme is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at supporting low-income students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Denotified Tribes, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans. It helps selected candidates pursue higher education such as Master’s or Ph.D. courses in foreign universities. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

Notes: Recently, the Government approved ‘Namo Drone Didi’ as a Central Sector Scheme to provide 15,000 drones to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) from 2023-24 to 2025-26 with a total outlay of ₹1261 crore. The scheme aims to promote advanced agricultural technology, enhance crop yield, reduce operational costs, and empower SHGs as drone service providers for income and livelihood. Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of 80% of the drone package cost, up to ₹8 lakh, is provided to selected SHGs. One SHG member receives 15-day drone pilot training and another member gets 5-day assistant training under the scheme.