Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
In early 2025, the United States contributed the most to the global emissions rise, accounting for over half the increase in fossil fuel emissions, with a 1.43% rise (48.57 million tonnes CO2e) in the first half of 2025, mainly due to increased reliance on oil, gas, and coal.

Notes:
A recent study conducted at Mahutigalaa reef in the Maldives used Porites coral microatolls to reconstruct sea-level changes from 1930–2019. These disk-shaped corals grow sideways once constrained by the lowest tide, making their upper surface a natural marker of past sea levels. Researchers X-rayed growth bands in the corals, similar to tree rings, and combined them with uranium-thorium dating. This study provided the longest sea-level record for the central Indian Ocean, revealing early acceleration of sea-level rise since the late 1950s.

Notes:
Researchers from Kerala discovered a new edible tuber named Dioscorea balakrishnanii in Wayanad district of Kerala. It belongs to the genus Dioscorea and is locally called ‘chola kizhangu’ by the Kattunayikar tribes. The tuber is edible when cooked and has excellent flavour. It is found only in the sholas of evergreen forests in the Western Ghats. Wayanad has 23 forms of more than 14 Dioscorea species, relatives of cultivated yam like kachil/kavat. The tuber has low glycemic index and potential for food security and medicinal use. Discovery highlights the importance of conserving unique ecosystems and wild relatives of crops.

Notes:
On August 30, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled from Tokyo to Sendai on Japan’s Shinkansen, known as the “bullet train.” The Shinkansen began operations in 1964 and now connects cities from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south. It runs at speeds up to 320 km/h and is a key alternative to domestic air travel. It is world-famous for efficiency, safety, and reliability with no passenger fatalities in 60 years. In its early years, it faced a loud sonic boom issue when entering tunnels. Engineer Eiji Nakatsu solved this by studying the kingfisher bird’s beak, applying biomimicry to redesign the train nose. The new design reduced sonic boom, improved speed, and enhanced energy efficiency.

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The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) launched a new initiative called BHARATI. BHARATI stands for Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement and Incubation for Export Enablement. It aims to empower 100 agri-food and agri-tech startups, promote innovation, and create new export opportunities for young entrepreneurs. The initiative supports APEDA’s vision of achieving $50 billion in agri-food exports for Scheduled Products by 2030. BHARATI addresses export challenges like product development, value addition, quality assurance, perishability, wastage, and logistics.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved a Rs.1,500 crore Incentive Scheme to recycle critical minerals from secondary sources. This scheme is part of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) to build domestic capacity and strengthen supply chain resilience. The scheme will run for six years from Financial Year (FY) 2025-26 to FY 2030-31. The total outlay of the scheme is Rs.1,500 crore. The scheme will benefit large recyclers, small recyclers and start-ups with one-third of the funds reserved for them. It will support investments in new units, expansion of capacity, modernization and diversification of existing units. The scheme will incentivize only those involved in actual extraction of critical minerals and not those doing only black mass production.

Notes:
Union Minister of State for Ayush inaugurated the National Ayush Mission (NAM) and Capacity Building Summit at All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi. The event was organised by the Ministry of Ayush. It focused on six key areas: Financial Management, Ayush-Modern Healthcare Integration, Human Resource Strengthening, Infrastructure & Service Delivery, Quality Assurance of ASU&H Medicines, and Digital Services. Ayurveda Day will now be celebrated on 23 September every year, with the 10th anniversary theme “Ayurveda for People and Planet.”

Notes:
India’s largest Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery manufacturing plant was inaugurated in Haryana on 5 September 2025. When fully operational, it will produce 20 crore battery packs annually, meeting nearly 40% of India’s 50 crore pack requirement. The plant was set up under the Centre’s Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) scheme. Li-ion batteries are rechargeable, with lithium ions moving between graphite (negative electrode) and lithium metal oxides (positive electrode) through a non-aqueous electrolyte. They offer high energy density (75-200 Wh/kg), are lightweight, use fewer toxic metals, and provide good cycle stability and efficiency. They have low self-discharge and no memory effect, ensuring reliable performance.

Notes:
Telangana recorded the highest Per Capita Income (PCI) in India for 2024-25 at ₹3.87 lakh net state domestic product (NSDP), surpassing Karnataka (₹3.8 lakh) and Haryana (₹3.5 lakh). This is Telangana’s first top rank in five years, showing strong economic performance. The state has maintained 10%+ average PCI growth over the past decade and 12% growth even in the last two years. Agriculture, especially cotton and horticulture, drove rural market activity and boosted growth.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology felicitated Indian student winners of the 18th International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO-2025) held in Jining, China. Team India won 7 medals – 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze – and 3rd Prize in International Geoscience Youth Movement (I-GYM) Reporter category. IESO was established in 2003 by the International Geoscience Education Organization (IGEO). It is an annual competition for Class IX–XII students worldwide to promote earth science awareness through teamwork and idea exchange. India has participated since 2007 and hosted the 10th edition in Mysore in 2013.