Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
West Bengal has mapped two wolf corridors near industrial town Durgapur, less than 200 km from Kolkata. This is the first such initiative in India under the Indian Grey Wolf Conservation Project in West Burdwan. Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society (WINGS), Bengal Forest Department, and WWF-India jointly carried out the mapping. At least 30 wolves in four packs were identified using these corridors. Earlier in 2024, a study found 15–24 wolves near Durgapur, showing growing conservation importance.

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Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute created the world’s first entirely AI-generated genome. The AI-designed virus can infect and kill bacteria, acting as a bacteriophage. Artificial Intelligence (AI) model named Evo was used, employing genome “language models” to design complete viral genomes. Evo was trained on about 2 million viral genomes to learn DNA patterns, gene order, and composition. Scientists guided Evo to mimic phiX174, a small bacteriophage with 11 genes and approximately 5,000 DNA letters. This achievement marks a significant advancement beyond AI-designed proteins or small multi-gene systems. It demonstrates AI’s potential to innovate in synthetic biology and genome engineering.

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The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the United Nations in India launched the Adi Yuva Fellowship and Adi Karmayogi Volunteers Programme under Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan. The Abhiyan, inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 17 September 2025 during Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, aims to engage 11 crore citizens in one lakh tribal villages across 550 districts of 30 States and Union Territories. Adi Yuva Fellowship will provide a 12-month paid fellowship with mentorship, health insurance, and links to skilling schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 and PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. The initiative strengthens inclusive governance and prepares tribal youth as leaders for Viksit Bharat 2047.

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India launched its Online Short Term Internship Programme (OSTI) for September 2025 on 22 September. From 896 applications, 80 students from 21 States and Union Territories were selected for the two-week programme running until 3 October 2025. The programme aims to provide understanding of human rights promotion and protection in India. Focus areas include constitutional rights, civil, political, social, cultural rights, climate change, artificial intelligence, cybercrime, and gig economy exploitation. Interns are trained in international human rights law, domestic issues, and advocacy strategies to become informed human rights ambassadors.

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A Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) was recorded for the first time inside Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), Rajasthan. The sighting was captured during routine tiger monitoring using camera traps in Ramgarh Range, Bundi. Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) previously hosted four small cat species: Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), Asiatic Wildcat (Felis lybica ornata), and Caracal (Caracal caracal). With the Fishing Cat, the reserve now supports five small cat species, enhancing its carnivore diversity. Fishing Cat is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and prefers wetlands.

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Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report 2023 shows 807 river locations unfit for bathing, down from 815 in 2022. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitors river health using Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). A BOD above 3 mg/L indicates pollution and unfit for bathing. Polluted River Stretch (PRS) is defined as two consecutive locations exceeding the BOD criterion in a river. In 2023, 296 Polluted River Stretch (PRS) were recorded in 271 rivers. In 2022, there were 311 PRS in 279 rivers. Maharashtra had 54 PRS, followed by Kerala 31, Madhya Pradesh and Manipur 18 each, and Karnataka 14.

Notes:
The Forest Department has registered a case on the mysterious deaths of nine Bonnet macaques near Palode in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. They are arboreal and terrestrial quadrupeds and are diurnal meaning active during the day. They are distributed in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. They play an ecological role by dispersing seeds that help forest regeneration. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed them as Vulnerable.

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Antyodaya Diwas is observed on 25 September, marking the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He was a philosopher, thinker, and political leader born in 1916 in Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh. The word Antyodaya comes from Sanskrit: “Antya” (poorest/last) and “Udaya” (rise), symbolizing upliftment of the weakest sections of society. The day highlights social equality, justice, and welfare for vulnerable citizens. Government of India declared 25 September as Antyodaya Diwas in 2014 to honor his philosophy. The day inspires building a just and inclusive society.

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The Karnataka High Court on 24th September 2025 dismissed a petition filed by by social media and tech giant X Corporation. The petition had challenged the Union government’s ‘Sahyog’ portal. Sahyog is a centralized platform developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). It aims to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime in India. The portal automates the process of sending notices to intermediaries under the IT Act, 2000. It enables the removal or disabling of unlawful online content. It connects all Authorized Agencies and intermediaries on a single platform for better coordination.

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Recently, environmentalists raised concerns over unchecked tourism and construction in the Mahendragiri Hills of Odisha, despite its Biodiversity Heritage Site status since 2022. It is located in Gajapati district at 1,501 meters elevation. It is part of the Eastern Ghats. The hills host 1,348 plant species and 388 animal species, including many endemic and threatened ones. Culturally, they are linked to the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and believed to be the site of Lord Parashurama’s penance.