Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
A new coffee plant species named Ophiorrhiza echinata was recently discovered in the Western Ghats. It was found in the shola forests at Devikulam, Idukki District, Kerala. The plant grows in the ecotone region between evergreen forests and grasslands at 1,630 metres above sea level. It belongs to the Rubiaceae family and is closely related to Ophiorrhiza mungos, used in cancer treatment and antidote preparations. It may have medicinal potential. The species is very rare, with less than 4 sq. km area of occupancy and only about 35 plants recorded

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Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) has launched India’s first indigenously developed glycoprotein E (gE) deleted DIVA (Differentiated between Infected and Vaccinated Animal) marker vaccine against Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) in Anand, Gujarat. IBR is caused by Bovine Herpes Virus-1 (BHV-1), belonging to the genus Varicellovirus under Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. It mainly affects domestic and wild cattle. The disease has three forms – respiratory, genital and encephalitic, with respiratory and genital being common. Transmission occurs through aerosols and semen from bulls to milch animals, impacting the reproductive system.

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The Indian Army has issued a tender to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for five to six regiments of the indigenously developed ‘Anant Shastra’ surface-to-air missile system. The system was earlier known as Quick Reaction Surface-to-Air Missile (QRSAM) and is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The project is worth about ₹30,000 crore and will boost air defence on borders with Pakistan and China. The mobile system can search, track and engage targets on the move with a 30 km firing range. It will complement Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) and Akash systems.

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Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has developed a new siphon-based thermal desalination system for clean drinking water. Traditional solar stills face salt buildup and scaling limits restricting output. The system uses a composite siphon of fabric wick and grooved metallic surface to draw water and flush out salt before crystallization. It is low-cost, scalable, and sustainable, made from aluminum and fabric, powered by solar or waste heat. It is useful for off-grid areas, disaster zones, coastal and island communities facing water stress.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) launched a new AI (Artificial Intelligence) and GIS (Geographic Information System) command system at its headquarters. The system is named Decision Support System (DSS) to improve decision-making for commanders at all levels. DSS integrates GIS platform, legacy operations, incident database, and sensor feeds to form a Complete Operating Picture (COP). It enables monitoring, predictive trend analysis, and AI/ML-based operations to predict smuggling hotspots and infiltration routes. DSS aids resource allocation, operational planning and execution along India’s 6,000 km border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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A collaborative research team led by University of Tasmania scientists completed a 54-day voyage on CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator to study the 2022 Hunga Volcano eruption in Tonga. It is a submarine stratovolcano in the Tongan archipelago, southern Pacific Ocean. The volcano has erupted regularly over past decades. On January 15, 2022, it had an explosive eruption, one of the largest of the 21st century. The eruption sent volcanic plume into the stratosphere, triggered shock waves, and caused tsunami waves across ocean basins. The voyage collected data to understand volcanic impacts, seafloor changes, and tsunami risks, aiding Pacific disaster preparedness.

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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.

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Cybercrime in India rose sharply by 31.2% in 2023, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. Total cybercrime cases increased to 86,420 in 2023 from 65,893 in 2022. Fraud dominated with 59,526 cases (68.9%), followed by sexual exploitation 4,199 cases (4.9%) and extortion 3,326 cases (3.8%). Cybercrime rate increased from 4.8% in 2022 to 6.2% in 2023. Karnataka reported the highest cases (21,889), followed by Telangana 18,236 and Uttar Pradesh 10,794. Economic offences rose by 6% to 2,04,973 cases in 2023. Among economic offences, Forgery, Cheating and Fraud (FCF) had 1,81,553 cases, criminal breach of trust 22,759, and counterfeiting 661.

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The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), headquartered in Chennai, sanctioned ₹82 lakh to the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board for Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) conservation. The initiative aims to raise 1 lakh Red Sanders saplings to supply farmers, supporting the Trees Outside Forests (ToF) programme. Red Sanders, native to Southern Eastern Ghats (Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool), faces threats from smuggling due to high commercial value. The species is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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18-year-old Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi won gold in women’s individual compound event at the World Para Archery Championship 2025. She defeated world No. 1 Oznur Cure Girdi of Turkiye with a score of 146-143 in the final. This was her third medal at the Championships. She earlier won a mixed team bronze with Toman Kumar against Great Britain 152-149. She also won a silver medal in women’s compound open team event with Sarita, losing to Turkey in the final. Sheetal is an armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir, who shoots using her feet and chin. She had also won a Paralympics bronze medal in 2024 in the mixed team category.