Daily Current Affairs Quiz: April 17, 2025

Notes:
The Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS), under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) and the Ministry of Defence, held the second Defence Literature Festival ‘Kalam & Kavach 2.0’ in New Delhi. The event was themed ‘Securing India’s Rise through Defence Reforms’ and focused on India’s journey to becoming a self-reliant and tech-driven military power. The festival supported the Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) goal through defence manufacturing and procurement reforms. It emphasized integration across land, air, sea, cyber, and space for national security. The event aligned with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’. It highlighted stronger public-private partnerships and faster tech transfers to boost readiness. Kalam & Kavach 2.0 showed how literature, innovation, and strategy can together shape India’s defence future.

Notes:
Two people in the United States are believed to have died recently from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare and incurable brain disorder. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) causes dementia and belongs to a group of diseases called prion disorders or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Its symptoms are similar to Alzheimer’s disease but progress much faster and lead to death. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is very rare, with only 1 to 2 cases diagnosed per million people each year worldwide. It mostly affects older adults and is always serious. The disease is caused by abnormal proteins called prions, which damage the brain by turning healthy prions into harmful ones. These abnormal prions clump together in the brain, leading to nerve cell loss and severe brain damage.

Notes:
Hockey Punjab, led by Hardik Singh, won the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship Trophy 2025 by defeating Hockey Madhya Pradesh 4-1 in the final. The final match of Division A was held on 15 April 2025 at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Hockey won the bronze medal by defeating Manipur Hockey 5-1. Hockey Punjab won their 5th title since the tournament began under Hockey India in 2011. The tournament was organised by Hockey India and held from 4 to 15 April 2025.

Notes:
A new frog species named Leptobrachium aryatium was discovered in Garbhanga Reserve Forest near Guwahati, Assam, after a 21-year-long study. It was first studied in 2004 but misidentified as Leptobrachium smithi. The discovery site lies near Deepor Beel, a Ramsar wetland site, and is part of the Garbhanga-Rani-Deepar Beel elephant corridor. The species was named after Arya Vidyapeeth College, which helped transform the local area from a liquor brewing zone to an educational hub. The frog has orange-and-black eyes, a reticulated throat, and makes rhythmic dusk-time calls. Its identification was confirmed through morphology, DNA analysis, and bioacoustics.

Notes:
Public sector banks (PSBs) have raised concerns about the slow uptake of the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme. These concerns relate to the implementation of the scheme. The PM Vidyalakshmi scheme, a Central Sector Scheme, provides financial support to meritorious students for higher education. It targets students admitted to India’s top 860 Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs), ranked by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). Students receiving other government scholarships or fee reimbursements are not eligible for this scheme. Students who discontinue studies or are dismissed for academic or disciplinary reasons are also ineligible for the scheme’s benefits. Loans can be applied for through the PM Vidyalakshmi portal, which offers a seamless, digital application process by integrating with various banks.