Current Affairs Quiz – August 2025

Notes:
Punjab National Bank (PNB) is the first Public Sector Bank in India to adopt the .bank.in domain, enhancing cybersecurity and public trust. The .bank.in domain is reserved exclusively for banks to reduce fraud, phishing, and cyber threats. The move aligns with RBI policies post Monetary Policy Committee meeting on February 7, 2025, addressing increasing digital payment frauds. This step reinforces PNB’s commitment to safe and secure digital banking for its customers.

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:
Shri Om Birla, Lok Sabha Speaker, will lead the Indian Parliamentary Delegation at the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC). The 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) will be hosted by the Parliament of Barbados and CPA Barbados Branch in Bridgetown, Barbados from 5-12 October 2025. The theme for 2025 is “The Commonwealth – A Global Partner”.

Notes:
The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released the Smart City Index 2025. Swiss cities dominate with Zurich at 1st, Geneva at 3rd, and Lausanne at 10th, reflecting strong urban planning and citizen-centric infrastructure. Middle Eastern cities improved dramatically as Dubai rose from 12th to 4th and Abu Dhabi from 10th to 5th, showing progress in sustainable infrastructure and digital services. Smart cities are urban areas using technology to enhance citizen benefits and reduce urbanisation drawbacks. Evaluation parameters include health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities, and governance. Indian cities are part of the global smart city movement but remain outside the top 20 in 2025.

Notes:
Heavy rain continues to batter Jammu, prompting India to forewarn Pakistan about potential flooding in the Tawi River as a humanitarian gesture. The warning comes despite the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) being in abeyance after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April 2025. Tawi River is a major left-bank tributary of Chenab River, originating from Kailash Kund glacier in Bhaderwah, Doda district, and flowing through Udhampur and Jammu districts into Sialkot, Pakistan. Tawi River divides Jammu city into old town on a hill and new town across the river, providing the main water source. The river is sacred, also called “Surya Putri” in ancient texts.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh government organised the Global Spiritual Conclave in Ujjain. The event was conducted by the Tourism Department with support from the Ministry of Tourism. More than 300 dignitaries, including spiritual leaders, thinkers, and visionaries from India and abroad, participated. The conclave aimed to promote spiritual tourism, preserve cultural heritage, and foster dialogue on responsible hospitality. The initiative sought to connect India’s spiritual legacy with modernity and benefit the tourism industry.

Notes:
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has recently issued the Revised National Action Plan on Glanders. Glanders is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei and mainly affects equines like horses, mules, and donkeys, with risks to other animals and humans. It causes nodules and ulcerations in the respiratory tract and lungs, with a skin form known as farcy. Transmission occurs through contaminated food or water, infected harness equipment, or horse meat. It is a World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease and must be notified under the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

Notes:
On the inaugural day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan, Rev Seishi Hirose, chief priest of the Daruma-ji temple, presented him with a Daruma Doll , an iconic cultural symbol of Japan. These dolls, considered a lucky charm in the country, vary in height from a couple of inches to several feet. The doll The Daruma is a traditional Japanese wish doll, which is typically made of papier-mâché. It is modelled after Bodhidharma, the 5th-century founder of Zen Buddhism. The doll is considered a symbol of perseverance and good luck, often used to represent setting and achieving goals.

Notes:
India and Japan recently signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in Aug 2025 on the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), a Japanese initiative that allows investment in low-carbon technologies in developing countries. The resulting emission reductions are credited to Japan’s carbon account, helping it meet climate targets. For India, the JCM will bring investment, technology transfer, and capacity building, while also enabling carbon credit trading under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. This supports India’s NDC goals: reducing emission intensity by 45% by 2030, achieving 50% non-fossil fuel power capacity, and creating a carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes CO₂ through afforestation.

Notes:
On 29 August 2025, cloudbursts struck Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts of Uttarakhand, causing floods, landslides, road blockages and swollen rivers Alaknanda & Mandakini. At least two women lost their lives, several houses collapsed, and families were trapped. Rescue operations are being carried out by SDRF, DDRF, police, fire services and disaster management units on a “war footing”. The incident also disrupted routes to Kedarnath Yatra, highlighting the growing vulnerability of Himalayan states to extreme weather events during the monsoon season.