Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
Researchers have discovered a new freshwater fish species named Garra nambashiensis in Manipur. The discovery was made in Taretlok, a tributary of the Chindwin River, near Nambashi Valley in Kamjong district. The fish belongs to the Labeonine family and is locally called Nutungnu. The Northeast region has 60 Garra species, of which 32 are proboscis species group, including eight from the Chindwin River system.

Notes:
Recently, the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex was inaugurated in Naranpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It was built at a cost of ₹825 crore, it is India’s largest and one of the world’s most modern sports complexes. The complex was developed as part of the vision to create world-class sports infrastructure in the country. Ahmedabad, already home to Narendra Modi Stadium and the upcoming Sardar Patel Sports Complex, is emerging as a major sports hub. The city will host the World Police and Fire Games in 2029 and is preparing to host the 2036 Olympics with 13 international tournaments lined up.

Notes:
Indian Navy’s Diving Support Vessel (DSV) INS Nistar is participating in Exercise Pacific Reach 2025 in Singapore. Exercise Pacific Reach is a biennial multinational exercise with participation from over 40 nations. The harbour phase will include discussions on submarine rescue systems, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE), a medical symposium and cross-deck visits. The sea phase will see INS Nistar and Submarine Rescue Unit (E) perform intervention and rescue operations with other nations in the South China Sea.

Notes:
Recently, Tanzania stopped a large-scale soda ash mining project at Lake Natron to protect its ecosystem. Lake Natron is a salt lake on the Tanzania–Kenya border, part of the Great Rift Valley. It was designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2001. It is the only reliable breeding ground for Lesser Flamingos in Africa, hosting 75% of the world’s population. The proposed mining project by Ngaresero Valley Company threatened flamingos, fragile hydrology, and the livelihoods of 65,000 Maasai pastoralists. Government allowed only small-scale traditional soda ash collection and emphasized sustainable ecotourism as the future.

Notes:
Recently, India bagged an exploration contract from the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to explore polymetallic sulphides in the Carlsberg Ridge of the northwest Indian Ocean. This is the first such global licence, signed in Delhi on September 15, 2025, between ISA (Jamaica-based) and India. Polymetallic sulphides are deep ocean rocks rich in manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper. Carlsberg Ridge is a mid-oceanic ridge and a divergent plate boundary in the Indian Ocean. It extends from the triple junction of the African, Indian, and Australian plates (Mid-Indian Ridge) northwest to the Gulf of Aden. It separates the Arabian Sea in the northeast from the Somali Basin in the southwest.

Notes:
A viral infection called Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is spreading rapidly among children in Delhi and Haryana, prompting advisories. It is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. It causes blister-like rashes on hands and feet, painful mouth sores, and sometimes rashes on chest, back, arms, legs, genitals, and buttocks. It mostly affects infants and children under 5 years, spreading quickly in schools and daycare. It is different from foot-and-mouth disease in animals, caused by a different virus. Transmission happens through unwashed hands, saliva, mucus, feces, or blister fluid. No cure or vaccine exists; recovery usually takes 7–10 days with basic care. Complications are rare, but children under 2 may take longer to recover.

Notes:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a Rs 1,000 monthly allowance for unemployed graduates aged 20–25 years. The scheme is part of the Chief Minister’s Self-Help Allowance Scheme under the state’s 7 Nischay programme. Earlier, it covered only intermediate pass candidates, now extended to graduates for up to two years. The objective of initiative is to help youth pursue skill training and prepare for competitive exams.

Notes:
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), with a corpus over ₹25 lakh crore, announced Shri Vivekanand Gupta, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner, selected for the Public Financial Asset Management (PFAM) Program 2025–26. PFAM is a prestigious initiative jointly organised by the World Bank and Milken Institute. Shri Gupta is the first-ever participant from EPFO and the sole representative from India. Selection was made by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS) through an internal nomination process. PFAM, hosted at Bayes Business School, City, University of London, trains senior professionals in capital markets, governance, and strategic asset management.

Notes:
Copenhagen, Denmark, is ranked the world’s happiest city in 2025 by the Institute for Quality of Life’s Happy City Index. Aarhus, Denmark, ranks 4th with high citizen score (233), robust governance (173), and environmental initiatives (170). European cities dominate the top 10: Antwerp (Belgium) 5th, Stockholm (Sweden) 7th, Munich (Germany), and Rotterdam (Netherlands). No city from the United States, United Kingdom, China, or India made it to the top 10.

Notes:
Indonesia suspended import of Indian groundnuts from 3 September 2025 due to Aflatoxin concerns. Suspension threatens new crop arrivals in a month, with groundnut sown on 48 lakh hectares this kharif season. Gujarat expects record 66 lakh tonnes, but prices remain below Minimum Support Price (MSP). Indonesia is India’s top buyer, importing one-third of exports — 2.77 lakh tonnes worth $280 million in 2024–25. Aflatoxins are toxic compounds from fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, linked to liver cancer and health risks.