Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
Padma Vibhushan vocalist Pandit Chhannulal Mishra passed away on 2nd October 2025 at the age of 89. He was a doyen of Hindustani classical music, known for Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti, Kajri, and Bhajan styles. He was born in Azamgarh in 1936. He trained under his father Badri Prasad Mishra, Ustad Abdul Ghani Khan of Kirana gharana, and Thakur Jaidev Singh. He was an exponent of the Banaras gharana and the Purab Ang tradition of Thumri. He received Padma Bhushan in 2010 and Padma Vibhushan in 2020.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh (UP) topped India in the INSPIRE Award – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) scheme with 2,80,747 nominations in 2025. This is an increase of 70,000 nominations from 2,10,000 in 2024 and the highest since the scheme began. The scheme is run by Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) to encourage innovation among students of classes 6 to 12. Among the top 50 districts nationally, 22 districts are from UP, including Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Hardoi, Jaunpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and others. UP surpassed Rajasthan (1,41,142) and Karnataka (1,01,656), leading by 1.39 lakh and 1.79 lakh nominations, respectively.

Notes:
The Government of India has invited applications for research and innovation projects under the Promotion of Research and Innovation in Pharma-MedTech Sector (PRIP) scheme. The scheme was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. It was notified in 2023 with a total financial outlay of ₹5000 crore. The objective is to make India a globally competitive and innovation-driven hub in the Pharma-MedTech sector. The scheme focuses on industry-academia linkage to strengthen Research and Development (R&D) in priority areas. It also aims to inculcate a culture of quality research and nurture India’s scientific talent pool.

Notes:
During Durga Puja immersions, heightened security was deployed along the India-Bangladesh border on the Ichamati River. The Ichamati River is a trans-boundary river flowing through India and Bangladesh. It also serves as part of the international boundary between the two countries. The river originates from Mahjdia village in Nadia district, West Bengal, as a bifurcation of the Mathabhanga River, which is a distributary of the Padma River. It flows through Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal, then enters Satkhira and Khulna districts in Bangladesh.

Notes:
INS Sutlej arrived at Port Louis, Mauritius, for the 18th Joint Hydrographic Survey between India and Mauritius. It is a specialised Hydrographic Survey Vessel of the Indian Navy. The ship was built by Goa Shipyard Limited and commissioned in 1993. It is based at Kochi under the Southern Naval Command. It has advanced surveying and navigation systems like Multi-Beam Swath Echo Sounder, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), and Motion Sensors. It also carries Sea Gravimeter, Magnetometer, Oceanographic Sensors, and Side Scan Sonars.

Notes:
India topped the ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup 2025 medals table with 8 gold, 10 silver, and 8 bronze. The ISSF Junior World Cup was held in New Delhi from 24 September to 2 October 2025. Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN) was second with 5 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze. Italy was third with 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze. Other medal-winning countries included Czechia, Croatia, Spain, Finland, Cyprus, and Iran. The event highlighted India’s strong performance in shooting at junior level.

Notes:
Veteran journalist Harinder Baweja released her memoir “They Will Shoot You, Madam: My Life Through Conflict” on October 1, 2025, in Delhi. The memoir details over 40 years of fearless conflict reporting from regions like Kashmir, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Major assignments covered include Operation Blue Star, 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and an interview with Chhota Rajan. The launch was attended by Captain Amarinder Singh, Omar Abdullah, and Rajdeep Sardesai. Speakers praised her bold journalism and its vital role in democracy. The book highlights the challenges and risks of reporting from conflict zones.

Notes:
The Union Home Minister-led high-level committee approved Phase-2 of the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP). The programme aims to help states mitigate urban flooding through structural and non-structural measures. Eleven cities are included: Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kanpur, Patna, Raipur, Trivandrum, Vishakhapatnam, Indore, and Lucknow. Cities were selected based on population, flood-prone status, and physical, environmental, socio-economic, and hydro-meteorological factors. Funding follows the National Disaster Management Fund (NDMF) guidelines: 90% Centre, 10% state contribution.

Notes:
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully conducted the 10th National Level Pollution Response Exercise (NATPOLREX-X) on 05-06 October 2025 off Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was held along with the 27th National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency Plan (NOSDCP) & Preparedness Meeting. The event saw participation from central ministries, coastal state governments, major ports, oil handling agencies, and maritime organizations. The exercise tested India’s preparedness for marine oil spills and inter-agency coordination under NOSDCP. ICG deployed ships and aircraft equipped for maritime pollution control.

Notes:
The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has established India’s first Animal Birth Control (ABC) Training Centre in Jarhara, Uttar Pradesh. The centre is a collaboration between LMC, Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), Uttar Pradesh government, and Humane World for Animals India. Its main objective is to strengthen street dog sterilisation programmes and improve animal welfare practices. The centre offers a 15-day training course with theoretical and practical components. The programme targets veterinarians, para-veterinarians, animal handlers, and organisations involved in street dog management.