Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
The Odisha government announced the creation of a digital library named Gyana Yagnya Mandap to preserve rare records of the Jagannath Temple, Puri. It will be built on the site of the old Raghunandan Library, part of the Emar Mutt, near the temple premises. The original library, established in the early 20th century, housed palm-leaf manuscripts and religious texts in Odia, Sanskrit, and Bengali. The digital library will preserve Madala Panji (historic temple chronicle), ritual manuals, scriptures, and administrative/cultural documents. It will feature a modern e-library system and research centre for scholars, devotees, and the public.

Notes:
Archaeologists in southeastern Turkey discovered a 12,000-year-old T-shaped pillar with a carved human face at Karahantepe, Turkey. It was announced in October 2025 as part of the Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) Project, which studies early human settlements and spiritual practices. Previously, T-shaped limestone pillars had symbolic arm and hand carvings, but no full human face had been found. The pillar shows deeply carved eyes, broad nose, and sharp facial lines, representing personalized human depiction.

Notes:
In October 2025, China inaugurated the world’s first solar thermal power station in the Gobi Desert, Gansu Province. The plant is built by China Three Gorges Corporation and uses two 200-meter-high towers feeding a single turbine system. 27,000 mirrors concentrate sunlight, storing heat up to 570°C for electricity generation after sunset or cloudy weather. The dual-tower setup is 25% more efficient than single-tower designs and reduces mirror requirements, saving costs. It complements solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind farms, addressing intermittency in solar/wind energy.

Notes:
Indra 2025 is an Indo-Russian joint military exercise underway at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Bikaner. The exercise began on October 7, 2025, and will conclude on October 15, 2025. It aims to strengthen coordination between Indian Army and Russian Army in counter-terrorism operations and modern warfare scenarios. Around 250 Russian personnel are participating in joint tactical exercises, live-fire training, and close-quarter combat in desert conditions. Indra exercises began in 2003, alternating between India and Russia; last held in 2021, paused during Russia-Ukraine war.

Notes:
A rare burst of winter rains in Chile’s Atacama Desert has triggered the “Desierto Florido” or flowering desert phenomenon. It transformed one of Earth’s driest landscapes into vast carpets of fuchsia wildflowers visible even from space. The Atacama Desert is the world’s driest non-polar desert, located in northern Chile. It stretches about 1,000–1,100 kilometres between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and European Space Agency (ESA) use it as a Mars-like testing site due to its extreme dryness and high ultraviolet radiation. The bloom is caused by Cistanthe longiscapa, locally known as “pata de guanaco.” This annual herb lies dormant for years and blooms rapidly after rare rains.

Notes:
Kerala became the first State in India to pass a bill amending the Central Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The Wildlife Protection (Kerala Amendment) Act, 2025 was passed by the Kerala Assembly on October 8, 2025. The bill will become law after receiving the President of India’s assent. The amendment addresses rising human-animal conflicts, ensuring justice for communities living near forests. It empowers the Chief Wildlife Warden to shoot, tranquilise, capture, or translocate wild animals attacking humans or straying into settlements.

Notes:
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, launched SPARK–4.0 (2025–26), the fourth edition of the Studentship Program for Ayurveda Research Ken (SPARK). The program aims to ignite scientific curiosity and research aptitude among undergraduate Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) students across India. 300 BAMS students from National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) recognized colleges will receive a studentship of ₹50,000 (₹25,000 per month for two months). SPARK provides short-term independent research projects under faculty mentorship, covering research methodology, experimental design, and data analysis. The program fosters a research-oriented generation of Ayurveda professionals and strengthens the Ayush research ecosystem.

Notes:
Recently, the Executive Council of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) approved a Special Purpose Fund (SPF) for the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme. The RDI Scheme aims to provide long-term financing or refinancing at low or nil interest rates to encourage private sector investment in research, development, and innovation. The scheme supports high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) projects and acquisition of strategically important technologies. It also facilitates the creation of a Deep-Tech Fund of Funds. Governance is provided by the ANRF Governing Board, chaired by the Prime Minister, ensuring strategic direction.

Notes:
A 59-year-old woman was recently killed by a saltwater crocodile in the Kharasrota River in Odisha. Kharasrota River is a tributary of the Brahmani River, a major east-flowing river in Odisha. The river originates from the Eastern Ghats in Keonjhar district. It flows through Jajpur and Kendrapara districts before joining the Brahmani River near the Dhamra estuary, close to the Bay of Bengal. The river passes through the Bhitarkanika region, an ecologically sensitive mangrove area known for saltwater crocodiles. Kharasrota River is a lifeline for irrigation and drinking water in Jajpur and Kendrapara districts.

Notes:
Labour and Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the Vishwas Scheme in New Delhi. The launch took place during the 238th meeting of the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF). The scheme aims to reduce litigation by introducing rationalised penal damages under the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act. Several digital initiatives were also launched, including a re-engineered return filing module, user management module, and upgraded e-Office and SPARROW system for better APAR management. The board approved simplified and liberalised norms for partial withdrawals to improve member convenience and retirement security.