Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
Delhi Legislative Assembly became India’s first legislature fully powered by solar energy on August 4, 2025. A 500-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant was commissioned on the Assembly building. The solar plant is expected to cut electricity bills by Rs 15 lakh monthly, saving about Rs 1.75 crore annually. Surplus electricity will be generated through net metering and used efficiently. The Assembly also launched the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) to shift towards paperless functioning.

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Rising tensions between the United States (US) and Russia have brought focus back to the RS-28 Sarmat Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), also called ‘Satan 2’ by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Russia showcased the missile after the US reportedly deployed two nuclear submarines near Russian waters. The RS-28 is a super-heavy, liquid-fueled ICBM with a massive range of up to 18,000 kilometers, enabling it to strike any global target. It is designed to replace the Soviet-era R-36M and was first successfully tested on April 20, 2022. The missile can carry 10–15 nuclear warheads using Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.

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On August 5, 2025, the Ministry of Textiles launched the “Haat on Wheels” during the 11th National Handloom Day celebrations in New Delhi. It is a mobile handloom retail platform aimed at promoting authentic Indian handloom products in urban areas. The initiative is implemented in partnership with the National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC). It promotes the theme “My Handloom, My Pride; My Product, My Pride”. The mobile vans travel across Delhi NCR, covering markets, residential areas, and cultural spots. It showcases 116 traditional weaves from various regions of India.

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M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) hosted the M.S. Swaminathan Centenary International Conference from 7–9 August 2025 in New Delhi. The event marks the birth centenary of Professor M.S. Swaminathan, known as the father of India’s Green Revolution. The conference is held in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS). The theme of the conference is “Evergreen Revolution – The Pathway to Bio happiness”, promoting sustainable, equitable, and hunger-free development.

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World Tribal Day is observed every year on August 9 to protect the rights of indigenous people worldwide. It is also called World Indigenous Day or International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The 2025 theme is “Indigenous Peoples and Artificial Intelligence – Defending Rights, Shaping the Future. The United Nations General Assembly declared this observance in December 1994. The date marks the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982.

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Recently, the Colorado River faces a severe water crisis as its flow declines, causing disputes over future water rights. It is a major North American river, originating in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, United States. It flows 1,450 miles (2,330 kilometres) west and south into the Gulf of California, Mexico. The river passes through seven U.S. states and two Mexican states, serving over 40 million people. It drains vast arid and semi-arid regions and is called the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”

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Recently, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launched the ‘Garud Drishti’ social media monitoring and cyber intelligence project in Nagpur to curb online hate, misinformation, and cybercrime. ₹10 crore recovered from cybercrime cases was distributed to victims during the event. The tool will help police detect hate posts, anti-India propaganda, caste-tension content, and online drug sales. It will be extended to other units to strengthen state-wide law and order.

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Recently, an expert panel of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change recommended environmental clearance for the 3,087 Megawatt (MW) Etalin Hydroelectric Project. Etalin is a large run-of-river hydro project on the Dri and Tangon Rivers in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley. The Dri River meets Mathun, then joins Tangon near Etalin village, after which it is called the Dibang River. The project will build concrete gravity dams to divert water through two separate waterway systems.

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The Minister of State for Jal Shakti recently informed the Lok Sabha about the BHU-NEER Portal. It is a state-of-the-art portal launched in 2024 by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. It aims to regulate groundwater development and management by providing an easy platform for filing No Objection Certificate (NOC) applications for groundwater abstraction. It has a centralized database for groundwater compliance, policies, and sustainable practices. It is meant for industries, infrastructure, and mining projects. It helps enforce guidelines to curb over-extraction and promote sustainable groundwater use.

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently launched the State Health Regulatory Excellence Index (SHRESTH) virtually. It is India’s first national initiative to benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems using a transparent, data-driven framework. It is proposed by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It ensures consistent drug safety and quality standards. It has 27 indices for manufacturing states and 23 for primarily distribution states, covering themes like human resources, infrastructure, licensing, surveillance, and responsiveness.