Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
Recently, the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast on July 30, 2025. Klyuchevskoy is a stratovolcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. It is considered the tallest active volcano in Eurasia and a key part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Kamchatka Peninsula is home to nearly 300 volcanoes, with 29 classified as active. It is one of the most seismically active volcanic zones, known as the “land of fire and ice.”

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Recently, the Skill Impact Bond (SIB) was highlighted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for delivering measurable social impact. It aims to train 50,000 youth, with at least 30,150 retained in jobs for a minimum of 3 months. More than 23,700 youth have been trained so far across 30 job roles in 13 sectors. Skill Impact Bond (SIB) is India’s first development impact bond focused on employment outcomes. It was launched in November 2021 by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to improve skilling and job placement for youth. It is backed by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Notes:
Renowned economist and UK House of Lords member Lord Meghnad Desai passed away recently at age 85. He was born in 1940 in Vadodara, Gujarat as Meghnad Jagdishchandra Desai. He earned BA and MA in Economics from University of Mumbai and completed PhD from University of Pennsylvania in 1963. He authored over 200 academic papers and 8 books, including Marxian Economic Theory and The Rediscovery of India. He was a pioneer in Marxian economics, globalisation, and development economics. In 1991, he became the first Indian-origin Labour Party peer in the House of Lords.

Notes:
Recently, the United States (US) President announced a 25% tariff on all imports from India, effective from August 1, 2025. A separate penalty has also been imposed due to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and military equipment. The US cited India’s high tariffs on American goods, calling them “among the highest in the world.” The US currently has a $40.8 billion trade deficit with India. India’s membership in BRICS, seen by the US as an anti-dollar group, is also a concern. A proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) failed to materialize before the August 2025 deadline. The tariff move is viewed as a pressure tactic to speed up trade negotiations with India.

Notes:
Recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari received the 43rd Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune. The award was instituted in 1983 by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. It is given annually on 1st August, the death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak. The award honours individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the progress and development of the nation. Lokmanya Tilak was born as Keshav Gangadhar Tilak and was a key figure in India’s freedom struggle. He was a nationalist, social reformer, and strong advocate of Swaraj or Self-Rule.

Notes:
The Ministry of Textiles launched the “Know Your Weaves Campaign 2025” from 1st to 7th August at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy, New Delhi. The campaign marks the celebration of National Handloom Day on 7th August. The campaign aims to raise awareness and pride in India’s diverse handloom weaving traditions. The event showcases iconic weaves like Banarasi, Chanderi, Pochampally, Ikat, Kanjeevaram, and Bhujodi.

Notes:
India has revived the 1,856-MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Power Project on the Chenab River after keeping the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance since April. The project, first conceived in the 1960s, was delayed due to Indus Water Treaty restrictions and Pakistan’s objections. It is a 2,185 megawatt (MW) run-of-the-river hydroelectric project in Ramban District of Jammu and Kashmir. It will be the largest hydropower project in the Union Territory and one of the biggest in North India. It is being developed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDC).

Notes:
Russia recently signed a key nuclear agreement with Niger, strengthening its influence in the Sahel region of West Africa. The Sahel region is located in Africa, forming a 5,000-kilometre-long semi-arid belt. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. It lies between the Sahara Desert in the north and the humid savannas in the south. It passes through African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea.

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The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a petition to repeal the Bodh Gaya Temple Act of 1949. The petition demands replacing it with a central law for better governance of the Mahabodhi Temple in Bihar. The Mahabodhi Temple marks the site where Gautama Buddha attained Enlightenment (Bodhi). It is one of the four most sacred Buddhist sites, along with Lumbini, Sarnath, and Kushinagar. It is located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, on the banks of the Niranjana River.

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A joint census in Kerala and Tamil Nadu recorded 2,668 Nilgiri Tahrs in total. Kerala has 1,365 Tahrs, with 841 in Eravikulam National Park (ENP), up from 827 in 2024. Tamil Nadu reported 1,303 Tahrs, mainly in Mukurthi and Grass Hills National Parks. Nilgiri Tahr, also called Nilgiri Ibex or Varayaadu, is a mountain ungulate found only in the southern Western Ghats. It is the only mountain ungulate species in southern India. It inhabits a 400 km stretch in the Western Ghats, across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri Tahrs live in open montane grasslands of the southwestern Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion