Best Current Affairs Questions

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A 2023 false-color satellite image showed twin lava flows and a massive smoke plume from Klyuchevskoy Volcano, highlighting its active state. Klyuchevskoy is a stratovolcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. It is the tallest active volcano in Eurasia, with a height of 15,584 feet (4,750 meters). It features a truncated cone with a central crater and about 70 lateral craters and cones on its slopes. It has erupted over 50 times since 1700, often emitting continuous smoke.

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Madhya Pradesh (MP) is leading in implementing the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) is effectively implemented in 88 tribal blocks across 20 districts. This initiative empowers tribal communities to resolve disputes locally through traditional Chaupals, reducing reliance on police stations. In 2025, MP received national recognition from the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, featured in a special success stories booklet. More than 8,000 local disputes, including family and land issues, have been resolved through community-led justice.

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Recently, the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) informed the Rajya Sabha about the India Skills Accelerator initiative. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the World Economic Forum (WEF). It aims to bridge skill gaps through inclusive upskilling and reskilling. It promotes lifelong learning investment and government-industry collaboration. It serves as a national public-private platform to solve complex challenges through multi-stakeholder efforts.

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Recently, Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh of the Parachute Regiment has been appointed as the Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). He succeeded Lt. Gen. NS Raja Subramani, who became Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) on 1st July 2024. Lt. Gen. Pushpendra Singh has over 35 years of service in the Indian Army. He is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into 4 Para (Special Forces) in December 1987. He participated in several operations like Pawan, Meghdoot, Rakshak, and Orchid. He served in UN Peacekeeping Missions in Lebanon and Sri Lanka. He was the General Officer Commanding of the Rising Star Corps since April 2022.

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Scientists have recently discovered a new plant species, Heptapleurum assamicum, in Assam’s Dima Hasao and West Karbi Anglong districts. It is a lush evergreen shrub from the family Araliaceae, which includes the ornamental umbrella plant. It has narrow lance-shaped leaflets under 1.2 cm wide and purple flowers instead of greenish-yellow. Its population is very small and localised, and it is listed as “Data Deficient” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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On 15 August 2025, during India’s 79th Independence Day, a High-Power Demography Mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Red Fort. The mission aims to counter a premeditated conspiracy to alter India’s demographic composition through illegal infiltration. Concerns were raised that infiltrators are threatening national security, especially in border areas. Infiltrators were accused of snatching jobs from youth, targeting women, and misleading tribal communities to capture forest land. It was stressed that no nation can tolerate intruders, as demographic changes create unity, integrity, and security challenges.

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On 15 August 2025, Chinese commercial aerospace company Geespace successfully completed the fourth orbital deployment of GEESATCOM (Geely Constellation) by launching 11 satellites from waters off Rizhao, Shandong Province aboard a single rocket. All satellites entered their planned 600 km orbits and are operating normally. GEESATCOM, independently developed and operated by Geespace, supports satellite Internet of Things (IoT) testing and inter-satellite communications. It also provides Earth observation for ecological and environmental monitoring.

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De Jure Transfer Day was celebrated on August 16 in Puducherry. The day marks the formal transfer of the French settlements of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam to the Indian Union in 1962 after the Treaty of Cession. Earlier in 1954, a referendum was held at Keezhur where people voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining India. At the Keezhur Memorial, Puducherry Legislative Assembly Speaker R. Selvam unfurled the National Flag and paid tributes. Freedom fighters were honoured at the event. In Yanam, Regional Administrator R. Munisamy and dignitaries paid floral tributes at Gandhi Municipal Park.

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Ajay Singh was re-elected as Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president for a third consecutive term on August 21, 2025. Singh defeated Olympian boxer Jaslal Pradhan with 40 votes against 26 in Gurugram. Pramod Kumar elected as Secretary-General and Pon Baskaran as Treasurer. Election was overseen by Justice (Retd) Rajesh Tandon and Fairuz Mohammed, WB (World Boxing) representative. Ajay Singh prioritized grassroots development, empowering junior and youth athletes, and strengthening India’s international boxing presence.

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Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) completes 11 years on August 28, 2025, as the world’s largest financial inclusion programme. It was launched on August 28, 2014. Its objective is to promote financial inclusion via banking, savings, credit, insurance, pensions, and remittance services. PMJDY supports Direct Benefit Transfers (DBTs) and forms the backbone of government economic initiatives. Before PMJDY, 59% of households and 35% of adults in India had bank accounts. After 11 years, almost 100% households and over 90% adults have bank accounts. 56.2 crore accounts opened, including 37.5 crore rural/semi-urban and 18.7 crore urban accounts. 56% accounts held by women, promoting gender inclusion.