Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first ‘Animal Stem Cell Biobank’ at National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad. NIAB is under Department of Biotechnology’s Biotechnology Research Innovation Council (BRIC). The Biobank will store high-quality stem cells from various animal species and supply cost-effective culture media to veterinary clinics, research bodies, and industry.

Notes:
The Khelo India ASMITA Football League 2025-26 was inaugurated by Smt. Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, at Godavari Engineering College Ground, Jalgaon, Maharashtra. The league promotes women’s participation in sports and nurtures young female talent, especially from tribal and minority communities. It features aspiring footballers aged 13 and under, providing opportunities from first-time players to hidden champions. The initiative aligns with the government’s ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and ‘Khelo Bharat Niti’ for nation-building and women’s empowerment.

Notes:
Recently, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) issued guidelines to tackle illnesses caused by water contamination. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. It was established as a national centre of excellence for controlling communicable diseases.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The Kodali Karuppur silk sari, once a luxury garment patronised by the Maratha kings of Thanjavur, is now facing a crisis due to declining traditional handloom weavers. It is named after Karuppur, a village near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. These handwoven saris, dhotis, and furnishings combined hand painting, block printing, and brocade weaving, popular till the 19th century. They evolved under Serfoji Raja Bhonsle Chhatrapati II (1787-1832) and were made for the Ranis of Thanjavur. The sari does not have a GI (Geographical Indication) tag.

Notes:
Assam government launched Operation Falcon last year to protect one-horned rhinos from poachers. It is a joint anti-poaching drive by Assam Police and Assam Forest Department to end rhino poaching and illegal wildlife trade. It integrates digital tracking, on-ground surveillance, and rapid deployment teams for swift action. In 2025, 42 poachers were arrested, six major gangs dismantled, and nine poaching attempts foiled. The effort led to zero rhino killings in 2025 and an 86% drop in poaching since 2016. Assam has 2,895 rhinos according to the 2022 census, mostly in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Notes:
India’s Namrata Batra made history by winning a silver medal in the women’s 52 kg Wushu final at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. The 24-year-old, a four-time national champion and 2024 Asian Championships silver medallist, lost 2-0 to China’s Mengyue Chen in the final. This was India’s first-ever medal in Wushu at the World Games. It was also India’s second medal at the 2025 edition after Rishabh Yadav’s bronze in men’s compound archery.

Notes:
On August 14, 2025, Dr. Vece Paes, a 1972 Munich Olympics bronze medal-winning hockey player, passed away in Kolkata at the age of 80 after prolonged illness. He was suffering from an advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease. Born in 1945 in Goa, he combined careers as a medical practitioner and a hockey player. He made his international debut in 1966 at the Hamburg International Cup and later won a bronze at the 1971 World Cup and 1972 Olympics. He represented clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, winning multiple Beighton Cups and Calcutta League titles.

Notes:
A newly found unidentified early hominin fossil may represent a new species. It confirms that Australopithecus and Homo species coexisted in the same African region and timeframe. Australopithecus is a genus of extinct primates, closest relatives of humans (genus Homo). They lived between 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs. Fossils were discovered in eastern, north-central, and southern Africa. The name means “southern ape,” first identified in South Africa. The most famous specimen is “Lucy,” a 3.2-million-year-old fossil from Ethiopia.

Notes:
More than 500 humanoid robots from 16 countries, including Japan, took part in the World Humanoid Robot Games 2025 in Beijing, China. The four-day event featured competitions in sports, tasks, and real-world scenarios. Robots competed in 26 events such as track and field, soccer, dancing, and kickboxing. A robot completed the 100-meter sprint in 21.5 seconds, showing remarkable speed. Robots also showed agility in kickboxing by regaining balance after hits. Some robots collapsed in soccer and collided during the 400-meter relay. The event highlighted both rapid progress and challenges in humanoid robotics.