Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
The European Union (EU) has offered concessions to United States manufacturers on climate-related trade rules, including the carbon tax and deforestation regulations. Ahead of the next India-EU trade talks in Brussels, Indian negotiators plan to seek similar relief for Indian exporters. A senior government official highlighted that Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and other climate-related rules remain the most challenging issues in the India-EU trade deal. CBAM is an European Union (EU) tariff on carbon-intensive imports to prevent carbon leakage. It aims to put a fair price on carbon emissions from imported goods and promote cleaner production globally.

Notes:
Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to dissolve its Madrasa Board and introduce a comprehensive Minority Educational Institutions Act. The Uttarakhand Cabinet approved the Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Bill, 2025. The Bill proposes to repeal the Madrasa Board and rules governing minority-run institutions. It aims to extend Minority Educational Institutions (MEI) status to communities beyond Muslims, including Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, and Parsis.

Notes:
Women’s Equality Day is celebrated every August 26 in the United States. It commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. The day honors the heroic women who faced violence and discrimination to advance the women’s movement. In the early 19th century, American women could not inherit property and earned half of men’s wages. Women began organizing to demand political rights and representation. The day highlights continuing efforts for full equality in education, employment, and political participation.

Notes:
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), in collaboration with Vertis Infrastructure Trust, launched ‘Project Aarohan’ to support the education of children of toll plaza employees. It aims to remove financial barriers, bridge socio-economic gaps, and provide quality education to students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), minority communities, and first-generation learners. The project will support 500 students from Class 11 to graduation with annual scholarships of Rs. 12,000 each. Fifty bright students aspiring for postgraduate studies will receive scholarships of Rs. 50,000 each. Project Aarohan combines financial aid with mentorship, skill-building workshops, career guidance, and long-term progress tracking.

Notes:
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) conducted a major operation codenamed “Rainbow” against drug trafficking and distribution syndicates in Delhi. The operation was based on intelligence about cocaine smuggled in small quantities, concealed in soft toys, and sent via domestic courier networks. Coordinated searches were carried out at multiple premises in Mehrauli, New Delhi. DRI seized 3,095.5 grams of cocaine, 4,421 grams of hashish, 1,305.5 grams of MDMA tablets, and 46 grams of amphetamine. Total narcotics seized amounted to nearly 9 kg, valued at approximately Rs. 40 Crore in the international illicit market.

Notes:
India will provide training and equipment to enhance Fiji’s maritime security, Prime Minister said recently. Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand and southwest of Hawaii. It is an archipelago of around 300 islands and 540 islets, covering about 1,000,000 square miles (3,000,000 sq.km). Fiji does not share land borders with any country. Approximately 100 of the 300 islands are inhabited. The capital of Fiji is Suva, situated on the southeast coast of Viti Levu, the largest island.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Transport Department recently launched the Sadak Suraksha Mitra (SSM) programme. It is initiated under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to engage youth in road safety. It aims to reduce traffic accidents, improve emergency response, and enhance citizen safety. The policy follows a ‘zero risk, zero friction’ approach. The programme will cover 28 districts including Kanpur Nagar, Lucknow, Agra, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur, Mathura, Aligarh, and others.

Notes:
New Development Bank (NDB), established by BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa—appointed Dr. Rajiv Ranjan as Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for a five-year term. Ranjan started his career at Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1989 and was Executive Director and Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member since May 2022. NDB finances India’s infrastructure projects in transport, clean energy, water, sanitation, environmental protection, and digital infrastructure. India holds the largest NDB project portfolio in BRICS at $7.5 billion, second only to China.

Notes:
The third International Conference of Young Buddhist Scholars was held in New Delhi. The theme is “Wisdom Transmission in Buddha Dhamma in the 21st Century.” It was hosted at Dr Ambedkar International Centre by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). Young scholars emphasised establishing a powerful ethical framework for Artificial Intelligence (AI). They suggested building machines with a digital mind and a heart, blending intelligence with ethical values. The conference aimed to connect Buddhist wisdom with modern technological and ethical challenges.

Notes:
More than 700 personnel from the Armed Forces and Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff joined Multilateral Exercise Bright Star 2025 in Egypt from August 28 to September 10, 2025. Exercise Bright Star is hosted by Egypt with the United States since 1980 and is among the largest Tri-Service multilateral exercises in the region. It is held biennially, with the last edition in 2023 also featuring India. India’s participation highlights its commitment to regional peace, stability, security, interoperability, and cooperation with friendly nations.