Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
Climate TRACE reported that global GHG emissions rose by 0.13% in H1 2025 to 31 BtCO₂e, despite a decline in worldwide power sector emissions. The biggest driver was a 1.5% rise in fossil fuel operations, adding 77.65 million tonnes CO₂e, with the U.S. contributing more than half. India’s emissions rose slightly (+0.21%, 4.44 MtCO₂e), while its power sector emissions fell by 0.8%. The findings underscore that global dependence on fossil fuels is offsetting progress from renewables. The ICJ recently warned that failure to curb fossil fuel reliance could be deemed an “internationally wrongful act.”

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:
The Niveshak Didi Phase II program was launched in collaboration with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), leveraging its deep rural network for last-mile outreach. IPPB’s extensive presence across villages and panchayats facilitates the delivery of financial education and services to remote populations. This program focuses particularly on women, promoting financial literacy, fraud prevention, and digital adoption, in alignment with the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) objectives under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Notes:
Matanomadh, a remote village in Kutch district, Gujarat, may serve as a test bed for ISRO’s Mangalyaan-2 mission to Mars. Researchers from Space Applications Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow dated jarosite mineral in Matanomadh to 55 million years (Paleocene period). Jarosite is a yellow, iron-rich sulphate mineral, similar to those found on Mars, indicating past water activity. The site allows field-analogue studies for Mars, including rover testing, drilling, geochemistry, and astrobiology research. The discovery can help decode Martian geology, past chemical interactions, and organic molecule trapping, aiding future Mars missions.

Notes:
European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Orbiter, a joint project with NASA, was launched in 2020 to study the Sun closely. It became the first spacecraft to image the Sun’s poles. A new study in Astronomy and Astrophysics traced the origin of Solar Energetic Electrons (SEE) emitted by the Sun. Solar Energetic Electrons (SEE) linked to solar flares arise from small surface explosions, while others are released gradually with Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), huge eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields. The Solar Orbiter flew through electron streams and studied the space environment between the Sun and spacecraft. Understanding SEE and CMEs is crucial for space weather prediction, protecting satellites, GPS, power grids, and astronauts. The mission aims to study the Sun’s 11-year magnetic cycle, corona heating, solar wind formation, and acceleration.

Notes:
A new orchid, Gastrochilus pechei, was discovered in Vijoynagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Previously, this species was known to bloom only in Myanmar. Gastrochilus is a monopodial orchid genus with 77 species across Asia, having short axillary inflorescence, bright flowers, and two porate pollinia. Gastrochilus pechei flowers in September-October and grows in moist evergreen rainforest near riverbanks. Before this discovery, 22 Gastrochilus species were recorded in India, with 15 in Arunachal Pradesh. The discovery highlights floristic links between Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh is known as the Orchid State of India, hosting approximately 60% of India’s orchid varieties.

Notes:
Telangana government will host Bathukamma, the nine-day floral festival, from September 21-30, 2025 on air, land, and water. The festival precedes Dasara and involves women worshipping Goddess Gowri on floral arrangements. Celebrations will be inspired by Brazil’s Rio Carnival to attract international tourists and showcase Telangana’s cultural heritage. The state will attempt a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of women. The nine-day festivities will begin at the Thousand Pillar Temple, Warangal. The initiative highlights Telangana’s efforts to promote tourism, culture, and global recognition of its traditional festivals.

Notes:
The National Zoological Park has increased surveillance and biosecurity measures. This action follows the discovery of a painted stork carcass near a pond. Another painted stork was found sick in the water bird aviary. The painted stork is a large wading bird belonging to the stork family. It is easily recognized by its heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip. These birds are found across the plains of tropical Asia. Their range extends from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia, south of the Himalayas. They prefer freshwater wetlands as their main habitat. They are also found in irrigation canals and flooded rice fields during the monsoon.

Notes:
Unity Small Finance Bank (Unity Bank) and BharatPe launched Unity Bank BharatPe Credit Card, India’s first Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI)-driven credit card on the RuPay network. The card allows customers to pay in full or convert spends into EMIs up to 12 months. It has been developed in partnership with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It can be linked to Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for payments at merchants nationwide. It marks a major innovation in India’s digital credit and payments ecosystem.

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.