Current Affairs Quiz – October 2025

Notes:
India and the United Kingdom (UK) launched the Ramanujan Junior Researchers Programme to foster collaboration between young scientists. The programme was named after Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. It honors his 1913 collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy. The programme is supported by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and announced after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India. Young Indian physicists and mathematicians can conduct joint research at the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS). LIMS, at the Royal Institution, London, is renowned for full-time theoretical research and associations with Nobel Prizes and major discoveries. The initiative emphasizes international scientific dialogue and exchange of talent between India and the UK

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda. Saranda Forest is the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, located in Jharkhand. Sal is a moist deciduous tree. Saranda means “the land of seven hundred hills”. Nearly 80% of the local population belongs to Ho, Munda, Oraon, and other primitive tribes. The notification aims to protect biodiversity and support tribal livelihoods.

Notes:
Every year, the Department of Fisheries, Manipur, organises the Annual Fish Fair cum Fish Crop Competition before the Ningol Chakouba festival. Ningol Chakouba is celebrated on the second day of Hiyangei month of the Meitei calendar. ‘Ningol’ means married woman and ‘Chakouba’ means invitation for feast; married women are invited to their parental homes for a feast. The festival dates back to King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba’s rule in Manipur.

Notes:
Sunil Amrith, Indian-origin historian and Professor of History at Yale University, won the British Academy Book Prize 2025 for his book The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. The prize awards £25,000 for outstanding non-fiction works in humanities and social sciences. Amrith was born in Kenya to South Indian parents, grew up in Singapore, and graduated from the University of Cambridge, England. The book explores 500 years of environmental history, linking human activity, colonisation, industrialisation, and settlement patterns to the current climate crisis.

Notes:
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed digital monitoring on the Online National Drugs Licensing System (ONDLS). ONDLS is a single-window digital platform for processing drug- and cosmetic-related applications, licences, and certificates. It is developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The portal enables real-time digital tracking of high-risk solvent batches used in drug manufacturing. All state drug regulators and pharmaceutical manufacturers must register on ONDLS.

Notes:
Queen Mother Sirikit of Thailand passed away at age 93 on 24 October at Chulalongkorn Hospital, Bangkok. She was the mother of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and wife of the longest-reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. King Vajiralongkorn has ordered a year-long mourning period for the royal family. She had been hospitalised since 2019, recently battling a blood infection. Queen Mother Sirikit was renowned for rural development, preserving traditional crafts, environmental protection, and forest conservation. Her birthday, August 12, is celebrated as Mother’s Day in Thailand.

Notes:
Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week is observed every year from 24th to 31st October by the United Nations (UN). The 2025 theme is “Minds Over Artificial Intelligence (AI) – MIL in Digital Spaces.” It focuses on the importance of Media and Information Literacy in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) means the ability to access, evaluate, use, and create information responsibly while respecting digital rights and ethics. It promotes critical thinking, informed participation, peace, diversity, gender equality, and sustainable development in digital spaces.

Notes:
Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 is observed from 27th October to 2nd November across India. The theme for this year is “Vigilance – Our Shared Responsibility.” It aims to promote honesty in public life and build a corruption-free society. The week encourages ethics, transparency, and accountability in governance and public administration. The observance began with a pledge-taking ceremony by public servants in Ministries, Departments, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and Banks. It is observed annually in the last week of October to coincide with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary.

Notes:
The second edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference 2025 held in New Delhi from 22nd to 24th October 2025. It served as a key platform for discussions on operational preparedness, maritime security, capability development, and Tri-Service integration. During the event, five naval publications were released, including the Regulations for Naval Armament Service, GeM Handbook, and Foreign Cooperation Roadmap. A new digital portal, ‘NIPUN’ (Naval Intellectual Portal for Unified Knowledge), was launched. NIPUN acts as a one-stop online aggregator for the intellectual work of the naval fraternity across various domains.

Notes:
Recently, India emerged as the overall champion at the 4th South Asian Senior Athletics Championships 2025 held at Birsa Munda Stadium, Ranchi. The event took place from October 24 to 26, 2025, with participation from all South Asian nations. India topped the medal tally with 20 gold and 58 total medals, followed by Sri Lanka with 16 gold and 40 total medals. Nepal stood third, while Bangladesh and Maldives followed; Bhutan finished without a medal.