Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
Delhi Forest and Wildlife Department recently organized six days of daily bird walks at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary for Wildlife Week 2025. Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the South Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli hill range, on the Delhi-Haryana border. It forms part of the Southern Ridge and connects with the Indo-Gangetic Plain, making it rich in biodiversity. The sanctuary is a key segment of the North Aravalli Leopard Wildlife Corridor, which begins at Sariska National Park in Rajasthan, passes through Haryana districts, and reaches the Delhi Ridge.

Notes:
Recently, the President of India presented the MY Bharat–National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for 2022–23 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award was instituted in 1993–94 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The main objective is to honour youth for their exceptional work in social service, community development, and nation-building. The awards recognise and reward outstanding voluntary community service. They are given every year to NSS Volunteers, NSS Units, and Programme Officers for their exemplary contribution to society. The initiative highlights youth participation in building a responsible and service-oriented nation.

Notes:
Kolkata has again emerged as India’s safest city with the lowest number of cognisable offences per lakh population in 2023. Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people, lowest among 19 cities with over 20 lakh population, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report 2023. Kochi was the worst performer with 3,192.4 offences per lakh, followed by Delhi (2,105.3) and Surat (1,377.1). Hyderabad (332.3), Pune (337.1), and Mumbai (355.4) were the next safest cities.

Notes:
International Labour Organization (ILO) released “The State of Social Justice: A Work in Progress” ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development, Doha 2025, marking 30 years of the 1995 Copenhagen Summit on Social Development. The report highlights that despite improvements in education, poverty reduction, and productivity over the last 30 years, inequalities, low trust in institutions, and slow sectoral progress hinder global social justice. Social justice means every individual, regardless of race, belief, or gender, has the right to material prosperity and spiritual growth in freedom, respect, and equal opportunity. Between 1995-2024, child labour fell from 250 million to 106 million, work-related mortality declined by over 10%, secondary school completion rose by 22 percentage points.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Health Ministry confirmed that while 18 State drug control authorities use the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS), none have fully met the Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) guidelines. ONDLS is a digital single-window platform for processing all drug-related licences in India. It was developed by Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and State/UT Drug Regulatory Authorities. It aims to make drug licensing uniform, transparent, and accountable across India.

Notes:
Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, opened India’s first cheetah safari in October 2025. It is part of Project Cheetah, African cheetahs were translocated to India starting 2022–23 to reintroduce the species. The park has seen multiple cub litters, some cheetahs reaching maturity, and individuals roaming farther than expected. Revenue from safaris will fund habitat management, veterinary care, prey monitoring, and community outreach. 16 cheetahs currently roam Kuno, with “Kuno Retreat” being developed for lodging and dining. It marks a milestone in wildlife rewilding and conservation tourism in India.

Notes:
The Union Government plans to showcase the PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan) scheme to African and island nations through the International Solar Alliance platform. The scheme was launched in 2019 to provide energy and water security to farmers and increase their income. It also aims to de-dieselize agriculture and reduce environmental pollution. The target is to add 34,800 Megawatt (MW) of solar capacity by March 2026. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal ministry.

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:
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:
Fiji launched its first-ever National Child Safeguarding Policy in October 2025. The policy sets a national benchmark for child safety across all sectors. It ensures all child-related services are delivered safely, respectfully, and in a child-friendly manner. It introduces a mandatory Child Protection Code of Conduct for all institutions and organisations. It requires child-safe recruitment and vetting processes, including criminal background checks. It includes risk mitigation strategies tailored to protect children from harm. It strengthens child safety, accountability, and institutional responsibility in Fiji.