Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
During Wildlife Week 2025 at Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, the Union Environment Minister launched five major conservation projects and four national-level wildlife monitoring programmes. Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) Project is a new national initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). TOTR will be implemented from 2025–2028 with a budget of ₹88.7 crore, coordinated by NTCA and executed through state forest departments. The project aims to reduce human–tiger conflicts in non-reserve areas and ensure safe coexistence.

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Around 100 wild boars were found dead in Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary in March, likely due to toxic waste contamination in Nangal Lake. Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the foothills of the Shivalik Hills, Rupnagar district, Punjab. The sanctuary covers 116 hectares and is part of the Nangal Wetland on the Sutlej River. It lies within a man-made reservoir built under the Bhakra-Nangal Project.

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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.

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Recently, Khaled el-Anani, former Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, was nominated as the next Director of UNESCO by its executive board. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Established in 1945 after World War II, it succeeded the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. The headquarters of UNESCO is in Paris, France. It has 194 member countries and 12 associate members.

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The Eighth Session of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly will be held from October 27–30, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. ISA was launched by India and France at COP21, Paris, in 2015 and has 124 Member and Signatory Countries. ISA promotes solar energy deployment, energy access, and security, especially in the Global South, supporting agriculture, health, transport, and power sectors. PM-KUSUM scheme supports 10 GW small solar plants, 1.4 million off-grid solar pumps, and 3.5 million grid-connected pumps. India is second largest solar module manufacturer and aims for 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2031.

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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.

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The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its delayed 2023 report showing key national crime trends. Murder cases fell by 2.8%, mostly linked to disputes, personal enmity, or gain. Crimes against Scheduled Tribes (ST) surged by 28.8%, mainly due to ethnic violence in Manipur where cases rose from 1 in 2022 to 3,399 in 2023. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also reported high crimes against tribals, showing their continued vulnerability. Cybercrimes increased by 31.2%, largely involving financial fraud and sexual exploitation due to growing digital use. Crimes against children rose by 9.2%, with offenders known to victims in 96% of cases. Some cases under the POCSO Act involve consensual adolescent relationships, needing sensitive handling.

Notes:
Recently, North Korea unveiled its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) named Hwasong-20 at a military parade. Hwasong-20 is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed with a solid-fuel engine made of carbon fiber composite materials. Solid-fueled missiles can be quickly launched and are harder to intercept than liquid-fueled ones. The missile has an estimated range of over 15,000 km, capable of reaching distant continents. It features an advanced guidance system combining Inertial Navigation System (INS) with GPS or optical sensors for high accuracy.

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An artificial intelligence (AI) model has revealed new geological structures at Campi Flegrei volcano, located in Italy. A clear “ring fault” was detected, which could trigger magnitude 5 earthquakes. Campi Flegrei, also called the Phlegraean Fields, is an active volcanic region in the densely populated Bay of Naples, Italy. It is a volcanic system, not a single volcano, spread across a large caldera. It is the largest active volcanic caldera in Europe, bigger and more active than Mount Vesuvius.

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UNESCO recently launched the Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects at the MONDIACULT 2025 conference. It is a digital platform reconnecting communities with their stolen cultural treasures. The project aims to create the first virtual immersive reality museum of stolen cultural objects globally. It raises public awareness about illicit trafficking of cultural property and aids in recovery of stolen objects. The museum is financially supported by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and developed in collaboration with INTERPOL. It currently displays around 240 missing objects from 46 countries. From India, it features two 9th-century sandstone sculptures from Mahadev Temple, Pali, Chhattisgarh.