Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
The Kaushalya Dam is located near Pinjore in Haryana on the Kaushalya river, a tributary of Ghaggar. It plays a vital role in flood management and water storage in the Ghaggar basin; Haryana is the only state with such a dam on this river.

Notes:
The NGO Educate Girls, officially known as Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, was awarded the 2024 Ramon Magsaysay Award for its pioneering work in challenging cultural stereotypes and advancing girls’ education in India. By mobilising local communities, the organisation has succeeded in enrolling and retaining girls in schools, and equipping them with valuable life skills. With this achievement, Educate Girls became the first Indian organisation to receive this prestigious honour, previously awarded individually to Indians like Arvind Kejriwal, Ravish Kumar, Sonam Wangchuk, and Bezwada Wilson.

Notes:
In August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit held in Tianjin, China. During the summit, Modi engaged in bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing cooperation, connectivity respecting sovereignty, and the need for a united global fight against terrorism. The SCO’s Tianjin Declaration also condemned the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Modi’s participation highlighted India’s active role in regional diplomacy and multilateral security dialogues.

Notes:
In Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2025, the Indian Army is represented by a battalion from the Madras Regiment, one of the oldest and most decorated infantry regiments in India. The exercise is held at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, from September 1 to 14, 2025, with the US Army’s 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment “Bobcats.” This joint drill enhances combat preparedness, cooperation, and interoperability between Indian and US forces by focusing on areas such as heliborne operations, mountain warfare, and counter-unmanned aerial systems, underscoring India’s commitment to international military collaboration.

Notes:
Recently, 19 workers and officials of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) were rescued after being trapped for 22 hours in a tunnel of the 280 MW Dhauliganga Hydroelectric Project in Pithoragarh’s Dharchula, Uttarakhand. The project is located on the Dhauliganga River, a major tributary of the Alaknanda River, part of the Ganga system. It is a run-of-river project owned by NHPC. It has a concrete-faced rock-fill embankment dam of 56 m height and 315 m length.

Notes:
India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in North India due to 2-System Interaction. 2-System Interaction occurs when two distinct weather systems converge, amplifying each other and causing severe weather. In the current case, the systems are the Southwest Monsoon Trough, carrying moisture from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, and the Western Disturbance, a cyclonic circulation from the Mediterranean region. Their interaction leads to intense rainfall beyond normal seasonal patterns. Himalayan regions are vulnerable to landslides and flash floods due to steep and fragile terrain. Such events are increasing due to climatic shifts, changing monsoon dynamics, and rising global temperatures.

Notes:
The Indian Army conducted Exercise Yudh Kaushal 3.0 in the high-altitude Kameng region, Arunachal Pradesh. The exercise demonstrated preparedness for next-generation warfare in extreme Himalayan conditions. The exercise marked the operational debut of ASHNI platoons, integrating advanced technology with traditional combat skills. Active participation of the Indian defence industry highlighted indigenous innovation under the vision of self-reliance (Aatmanirbhar Bharat). Yudh Kaushal 3.0 validated combat effectiveness, multi-domain operations, and adoption of emerging technologies.

Notes:
The National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025 was released by the National Commission for Women (NCW). The survey covered 12,770 women across 31 cities in India. The national safety score is 65%, meaning 40% of women feel unsafe despite government assurances. 60% of women reported feeling safe, while younger women under 24 reported harassment at 14%, double the national average. Kohima, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Aizawl, Gangtok, Itanagar and Mumbai are the safest cities. Patna, Jaipur, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Srinagar and Ranchi are the least safe cities. The report frames women’s safety as a developmental issue, encompassing physical, psychological, financial, and digital security.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Army Training Command (ATC), Shimla. The partnership establishes a Centre of Excellence (CoE) named VIGRAHA (Virtual, Intelligent, Ground-breaking Research in AR/VR and High-tech Applications for Indian Army). The Simulator Development Division (SDD), Secunderabad represents the Indian Army in this collaboration. The CoE will focus on Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, unmanned systems, and emerging defense technologies. The initiative strengthens India’s self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in defense technologies.

Notes:
Less than 40% of India’s Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) have received a Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card. More than 11 lakh applications are pending, with 60% delayed for more than six months. The UDID sub-scheme under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) creates a national database and enables access to schemes. UDID cards allow PwDs to get benefits like Assistance to Persons with Disabilities (ADIP) scheme, scholarships, and job reservations. Coverage is above 50% only in Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Odisha, and Karnataka, while West Bengal has just 6%.