Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
India’s first privately funded mathematics research institute, Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI), was launched in Mumbai. It is backed by Lodha Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Lodha Group, with an endowment of ₹20,000 crore. Lodha Mathematical Sciences Institute (LMSI) aims to host intensive global courses, apply mathematics to infrastructure, healthcare, and economics, and launch the Indian Congress of Mathematics.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government has declared Ganeshotsav as the state festival through a Government Resolution. Bhajani Mandals will get grants up to 5 crore rupees. Cultural and spiritual programs like spiritual drama festivals, drone shows, and lecture series will be organized. A dedicated portal will stream live visuals of major Ganesh temples and public celebrations. A digital platform will allow citizens to upload photos of domestic Ganeshotsavs. Awards will be given to the best Ganeshotsav Mandals across the state.

Notes:
The world celebrates World Photography Day on August 19 every year. The day honours the history, art, and significance of photography. On this day in 1839, the French government announced the invention of the daguerreotype, an early photographic process by Louis Daguerre. This invention made photography accessible and practical for people. The day raises awareness about photography’s role in storytelling, communication, and documentation. The 2025 theme is “My Favourite Photo.”

Notes:
Two Indian aquanauts recently conducted deep-sea dives in the Atlantic Ocean under Samudrayaan Project. They collected over 100 kg of cobalt-rich polymetallic nodules from 1,173 meters depth in the Andaman Sea. Deep Ocean Mission was launched by Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) on 7 September 2021 with ₹4,077 crore for 5 years. The mission develops technologies for exploring and using deep ocean resources sustainably. It supports India’s Blue Economy with potential to push maritime economy beyond ₹100 billion. It aligns with United Nations Decade of Ocean Science (2021–2030).

Notes:
Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment reported that 18 Garima Grehs are functional across 15 States/UTs. 3 new Garima Grehs have been approved for FY 2025–26. Garima Greh is a shelter home initiative for transgender persons, supported by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (DoSJE). It provides food, shelter, medical care, counselling, yoga, meditation, and recreational facilities. It focuses on capacity building, skill development, and livelihood training for mainstreaming transgender persons.

Notes:
The Indian Army will host MILMEDICON-2025, an International Conference on Physical and Mental Trauma in Military Settings. It will be held at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, on August 28-29, 2025. The event is organised by the Director General of Medical Services (Army) under the Ministry of Defence’s Year of Reforms. Experts will discuss combat trauma care, artificial intelligence, new technologies, and emergency medical response. The conference will mark 100 years of Military Nursing Service (MNS), honouring Nari Shakti.

Notes:
Recently, India successfully test-fired the Agni-5 missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha. Agni-5 is a nuclear-capable land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The missile has a range of over 5,000 kilometers, making it one of India’s most advanced long-range missiles. It is equipped with modern navigation, guidance, warhead and engine systems. Agni-5 can carry and fire up to three nuclear warheads simultaneously, boosting India’s strategic deterrence capability.

Notes:
International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism is observed every year on August 21. The day honours innocent lives lost, the resilience of survivors, and reinforces global commitment to peace, justice, and solidarity. This year’s theme is “United for Hope: Collective Actions for Victims of Terrorism”, highlighting the strength of victims transforming pain into purpose. The United Nations General Assembly established the observance in 2017 to address long-term impacts of terrorism.

Notes:
Government of India launched a 15-day Entrepreneurship Development Programme under the SMILE scheme. The programme aims to empower transgender persons through self-employment and livelihood opportunities. SMILE stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise scheme. It is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. SMILE has two subschemes: Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons and Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the continuation of universal supply of fortified rice under all government schemes till December 2028 with 100% central funding of ₹17,082 crore. The Fortified Rice Scheme is a nutrition intervention programme that supplies rice enriched with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12 through government food safety nets. The scheme aims to combat anaemia, malnutrition, and hidden hunger across India. The nodal agency is the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and technical standards are framed by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).