Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
In October 2025, GalaxEye Space, a space-tech startup, announced Mission Drishti, the world’s first multi-sensor Earth Observation (EO) satellite, to launch in Q1 (January–March) 2026. It will be launched aboard an Indian launch vehicle such as Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) or a SpaceX rocket. The 160-kilogram (kg) satellite features Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and high-resolution optical and infrared sensors. It provides 1.5 metre (m) high-resolution, real-time Earth data, capable of night and bad weather imaging. Mission Drishti aligns with “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives of the Government of India (GOI).

Notes:
India registered 2.52 crore births in 2023, around 2.32 lakh fewer than in 2022, according to the Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System (CRS). The report was compiled by the Registrar General of India (RGI). Total deaths registered in 2023 were 86.6 lakh, slightly higher than 86.5 lakh in 2022. No major spike in deaths occurred in 2022-2023, though COVID-19 deaths totaled 5,33,665 as of May 5, 2025. Excess deaths were high in 2021, with 102.2 lakh deaths compared to 81.2 lakh in 2020. Jharkhand had the lowest sex ratio at birth at 899, Arunachal Pradesh the highest at 1,085. Institutional births accounted for 74% of total registered births in 2023. Five States reported 80–90% registration, while 14 States reported 50–80% registration.

Notes:
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Uttar Pradesh Police launched Operation Shikanja from 9th to 13th October 2025. The operation led to the arrest of 23 absconding economic offenders across the state. The main objective was to catch long-time absconders involved in major financial scams in Uttar Pradesh. It aimed to recover misused public funds and strengthen the rule of law against white-collar crimes. The drive shows a statewide crackdown on financial crimes, enhancing public trust and economic justice in Uttar Pradesh

Notes:
On October 13, 2025, TechBharat Research Foundation (TBRF) and Google Cloud India launched India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Public Good in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP). The initiative was supported by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, particularly its Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (IT, E&C). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Andhra Pradesh and TechBharat Research Foundation (TBRF) for setting up and operating the CoE. TBRF will lead the CoE as a hub for applied AI research and public service solutions. Google Cloud India will provide cloud infrastructure, Gemini AI models, tools, mentorship, and market support.

Notes:
The Supreme Court recently allowed limited use of green crackers approved by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Delhi-NCR this Diwali. NEERI is a research institute created and funded by the Government of India. It works in the field of environmental science and engineering to promote sustainable development and pollution control. It functions under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. Its headquarters is in Nagpur, with five zonal labs in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai.

Notes:
Researchers from the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation recently discovered a new species of snail named Lagocheilus hayaomiyazakii, also called the Tilari hairy snail. It was found in the evergreen Tilari forest of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. The snail lives in leafy thickets and rocky areas of the Western Ghats. It is named after Hayao Miyazaki, the famous Japanese filmmaker and Studio Ghibli co-founder known for depicting harmony with nature. Its habitat is highly limited and threatened by wildfires and deforestation, making it vulnerable to extinction.

Notes:
Recently, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), climbed three ranks to 43rd in the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 38). In the FinTech Index, it rose five places to 35th, showing strong growth in innovation and regulation. The GFCI 38, released by the Z/Yen Group, assessed 135 financial centres using 140 global indicators from the World Bank, OECD, and the United Nations. GIFT City remains among the top 15 centres in the Asia-Pacific and is the only Indian city in the list. It is also featured among the “15 centres likely to become more significant” globally, reflecting India’s rising influence in international finance.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh state government has decided to establish Divyang Rehabilitation Centres at every divisional headquarters to support people with disabilities. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the establishment of these modern centers to provide medical, educational, psychological, and vocational support under one roof. The initiative will create a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center in each of the state’s divisional headquarters. The centers will offer a wide range of support, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological counseling, orthotic and prosthetic services, and the distribution of assistive devices.

Notes:
The fifth edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG 2025) will be held from November 24 to December 5, 2025 in seven cities of Rajasthan: Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kota, and Bharatpur. More than 5,000 athletes are expected to participate in 23 medal sports and one demonstration sport (Kho-Kho). New sports introduced this year include beach volleyball, canoeing & kayaking, and cycling. KIUG provides university athletes a platform for talent development and national recognition, supporting India’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. KIUG is part of the Khelo India Scheme, the flagship programme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS).

Notes:
A recent study found that the indigenous rotavirus vaccine ‘Rotavac’ is as effective in real-world use as in clinical trials. Rotavac is an oral, live attenuated, monovalent liquid vaccine against rotavirus. It was developed through a public-private partnership involving the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Bharat Biotech, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Rotavirus is a viral disease that commonly causes diarrhoeal illness in children. There is no specific medicine to treat rotavirus infection, and vaccination provides the best protection. This study highlights Rotavac’s continued role in child health.