Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
Palamau Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand, the last stronghold of Gaur (Bos gaurus) in the state, is witnessing a sharp population decline. It lies on the Chhotanagpur plateau in Jharkhand and is part of Betla National Park. Gaur, also called Indian Bison, is the largest wild cattle species in the Bovidae family. They are native to South and Southeast Asia.

Notes:
Recently, at least 20 people died after a migrant boat capsized off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa. It is administratively part of the autonomous region of Sicily in Italy but geographically part of the African continent. It is located in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Tunisia, 170 km southwest of Licata, Sicily. It is volcanic, with the last eruption about 9,000 years ago and major seismic events in the late 1800s.

Notes:
India recently launched its first fully indigenous commercial Earth Observation (EO) satellite constellation. It is developed by a private consortium led by Pixxel Space under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. The satellites carry advanced sensors like Panchromatic, Multispectral, Hyperspectral, and Microwave Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). They will provide Analysis Ready Data (ARD) and Value-Added Services (VAS). This reduces India’s dependence on foreign satellite data and ensures national data sovereignty. It positions India as a global leader in geospatial intelligence

Notes:
The Prime Minister recently praised the success of PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Yojana for empowering street vendors. It is a central-sector micro-credit scheme launched on 1st June 2020 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The scheme provides affordable working capital loans to street vendors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is implemented by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). Vendors can avail loans up to Rs. 10,000, repayable in one year through monthly installments.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Two new damselfly species, Konkan Shadowdamsel and Crimson Shadowdamsel, have been discovered in the Western Ghats. Konkan Shadowdamsel was found in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, and Crimson Shadowdamsel in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. They belong to the ‘Shadowdamsels’ group, thriving in shaded forest habitats and pristine small streams. Crimson Shadowdamsel has a reddish body, while Konkan Shadowdamsel shows coffee-brown colouration. Shadowdamsels are microendemics of Western Ghats and act as pollution indicators, reflecting forest health. Damselflies are predatory insects of order Odonata, smaller and weaker fliers than dragonflies, found near freshwater habitats.

Notes:
An ‘Arogyam Health and Wellness Centre’ was inaugurated at DahJhong in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh under Indian Army’s Operation Sadbhavana initiative. It is equipped with basic life-saving facilities to provide timely health support. The centre will benefit villagers and tourists in high-altitude regions like Thingbu, Mago, Jethang, and Luguthang. This inauguration marks an important step in strengthening rural healthcare access and promoting wellness in Tawang’s high-altitude areas.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the state’s first and India’s second Green Hydrogen Plant at Khanimpur, Gorakhpur. India’s first Make-in-India green hydrogen plant is at Kandla Port, Gujarat. The plant is set up by Torrent Gas and Torrent Power and will blend Green Hydrogen with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Piped Natural Gas (PNG). Green Hydrogen is produced by splitting water using renewable energy without fossil fuels.

Notes:
Uttarakhand government has strengthened Operation Kalnemi to act against fake sadhus deceiving people. Now imposters will face criminal charges and arrests, not just detention. Police will act under Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, 2023, Information Technology Act, 2000, and Foreigners Act, 1946. Cases include fake identity cards, cyber fraud, and foreigners using fake documents. Operation Kalnemi, named after a demon in Hindu mythology, was launched before the Kanwar Yatra by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to protect Sanatan Dharma and social harmony.

Notes:
Three of six reactors at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France were shut down. The shutdown was caused by a massive swarm of jellyfish clogging the cooling system. The plant is operated by Électricité de France (EDF). Jellyfish are gelatinous zooplankton belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. They are simple invertebrates with stinging tentacles and jet propulsion movement. They lack brains, blood, or hearts and are made of epidermis, mesoglea, and inner layer. Jellyfish blooms disrupt ecosystems by reducing biodiversity and collapsing fish populations.