Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
The ‘Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile Handset’ facility on Sanchar Saathi, a citizen-centric digital safety initiative by Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has recovered more than 6 lakh mobile handsets. The facility integrates DoT, Telecom Service Providers (TSP), and State/UT police in real-time. Citizens can report, block, trace, or unblock lost/stolen mobile handsets across all Indian telecom networks. Blocked devices generate automated trace alerts to citizens and the police, including police station contact details. Monthly recoveries increased from 28,115 in Jan 2025 to 45,243 in Aug 2025, a 61% rise.

Notes:
Sri Lanka and India will co-host the first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup – Cricket for the Blind from 11 to 23 November 2025. The tournament will open in New Delhi with inauguration and five matches, followed by four matches in Bengaluru. Colombo, Sri Lanka, will host the concluding leg with 15 matches, including semi-finals, final, and closing ceremony on 23rd November.

Notes:
The Centre announced 100 Aspirational Agriculture Districts under Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) across 29 states and Union Territories (UTs). Uttar Pradesh has the highest number with 12 districts, followed by Maharashtra (9), Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (8 each), and Bihar (7). Other states and UTs have districts ranging from 1–4 each, with Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand having 2 districts each. Prime Minister Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) aims to enhance agricultural productivity, crop diversification, sustainable practices, post-harvest storage, irrigation, and credit access.

Notes:
Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Akshar was recently commissioned at Karaikal, Puducherry. It is the second of eight Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs). The name “Akshar” means imperishable, symbolising ICG’s commitment to safe, secure, and clean seas. It is designed and built indigenously by Goa Shipyard Limited with over 60% indigenous content. It is equipped with Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP), gearboxes, Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), and Automated Power Management System (APMS).

Notes:
Exercise KONKAN-25 began on 05 October 2025 off the western coast of India. It is a bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom (UK). The exercise has two phases, a harbour phase and a sea phase. The harbour phase includes professional exchanges, ship visits, sports events, and cultural activities. The sea phase involves complex drills in anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, along with flying operations and seamanship tasks. India is represented by INS Vikrant, the indigenous aircraft carrier with its carrier battle group. The exercise reinforces the goal of secure, open, and free seas under the India-UK Vision 2035.

Notes:
Around 10 Indian marine and saline fish and shrimp varieties are soon to receive the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification is an international non-profit organisation that sets science-based standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Its certification recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices to promote a sustainable seafood market. The certification is based on independent third-party assessments focusing on stock health, environmental impact, and effective management. It is voluntary, open to all fisheries regardless of location, size, or fishing gear. Astamudi clam (Paphia malabarica) was India’s first MSC-certified fishery.

Notes:
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested eight accused and identified 45 suspects under Operation HAECHI-VI, an Interpol-led exercise against transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes. The operation targeted seven offences: cyber-enabled financial crime, voice phishing, love and romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering linked to illegal online gambling, business email compromise, and e-commerce fraud. CBI coordinated with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of Justice, and German authorities. $66,340 cash was seized and 30 bank accounts blocked.

Notes:
A week after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Washington visit, the United States (US) confirmed supplying advanced air-to-air missiles to Pakistan. Pakistan will receive AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) under a modified arms contract with Raytheon, US defence company,valued at over $2.51 billion. The AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile with “fire-and-forget” capability, speed up to Mach 4, and all-weather operation. AMRAAM is developed by the United States, compatible with F-16 jets, and also used on F-15, F-22, F-35, and other fighter aircraft worldwide.

Notes:
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recognised Deendayal Port Authority (Gujarat), V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (Tamil Nadu), and Paradip Port Authority (Odisha) as Green Hydrogen Hubs under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM). National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) aims to make India a global hub for production, utilisation, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. The Mission promotes large-scale hydrogen hubs to develop a sustainable and competitive hydrogen economy. Ports will act as catalysts for clean energy innovation and support India’s net-zero by 2070 vision. A cluster-based development model addresses challenges of long-distance hydrogen transport and ensures economies of scale.

Notes:
On World Mental Health Day 2025, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare launched new initiatives for the National Tele Mental Health Programme (Tele MANAS). Tele MANAS stands for Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States. It was started by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2022. It aims to provide universal access to equitable, affordable, and quality mental health care through 24×7 tele-mental health services. Tele MANAS is a key digital component of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP). Services are available across all Indian States and Union Territories with assured linkages for seamless care.