Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-Madras) has been nominated as a United Nations (UN) Centre of Excellence (COE) for Artificial Intelligence (AI), capacity building, and skilling. The nomination was announced by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary S Krishnan at the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The Centre of Excellence will operate under the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies (ODET) to support the Global South in AI capacity building. India’s AI mantra is “capacity is the new connectivity” to bridge global AI gaps.

Notes:
The 12th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) was held at Doon University, Dehradun on 26 September. Sustainable Mountain Development Summit is a flagship annual summit addressing ecological, economic, and social challenges of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). It is organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), a civil society-led network. The aim is to promote sustainable Himalayan development, strengthen community participation, and blend science with traditional wisdom.

Notes:
Recently, a report by Just Rights for Children (JRFC) showed child marriage in India declined by 69% for girls and 72% for boys. The report ‘Tipping Point to Zero: Evidence Towards a Child Marriage Free India’ was released at a UN General Assembly side event in New York. Assam leads with 84% decline in child marriages of girls, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar (70%), Rajasthan (66%), and Karnataka (55%). Strongest deterrents include arrests and First Information Reports (FIRs). The decline is attributed to coordinated action by Government of India, State governments, and civil society organisations over three years.

Notes:
India has launched an anti-dumping investigation on imports of Ethambutol Hydrochloride from China and Thailand. The probe is conducted by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The investigation follows an application by Lupin, India’s only domestic producer of the drug. Ethambutol Hydrochloride is used to treat pulmonary tuberculosis as part of combination therapy to prevent drug resistance.

Notes:
India inaugurated its first Maritime Simulation Centre at AMET Knowledge Park, Thenpattinam, Chennai. The centre features Full Mission Simulators for deck and engine operations, Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), and Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Labs. Cadets will receive hands-on training in navigation, watchkeeping, collision avoidance, engine troubleshooting, and steering. The initiative strengthens India’s maritime education and seafarer skill development, bridging academic learning with real-world maritime operations.

Notes:
World Heart Day is observed every year on September 29. The day raises awareness about heart diseases and preventive measures to manage cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) globally. The day promotes healthy lifestyles to prevent and control heart-related ailments. The theme for World Heart Day 2025 is “Don’t Miss a Beat”. It stresses continuous vigilance in heart health through healthy habits, regular check-ups, timely medical attention, and awareness of warning signs. The goal is to reduce deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases worldwide.

Notes:
On Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR’s) Foundation Day, 26th September 2025, the SODAR (Sound Detection and Ranging) system facility was inaugurated at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi. The facility was designed and developed by CSIR–Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal. The SODAR system will provide additional atmospheric data for improved weather forecasting and research.

Notes:
India will host the World Seafood Congress (WSC) 2026 in Chennai, marking the first time the biennial event is held in India. The Congress focuses on seafood trade, safety, innovation, and sustainability. India is the sixth-largest global seafood exporter and second-largest aquaculture producer, exporting 1.78 million tonnes valued at ₹60,523.89 crore (USD 7.38 billion) in 2023–24. The Congress will feature a trade fair, plenary sessions, panel discussions, technical presentations, and workshops

Notes:
18-year-old Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi won gold in women’s individual compound event at the World Para Archery Championship 2025. She defeated world No. 1 Oznur Cure Girdi of Turkiye with a score of 146-143 in the final. This was her third medal at the Championships. She earlier won a mixed team bronze with Toman Kumar against Great Britain 152-149. She also won a silver medal in women’s compound open team event with Sarita, losing to Turkey in the final. Sheetal is an armless archer from Jammu and Kashmir, who shoots using her feet and chin. She had also won a Paralympics bronze medal in 2024 in the mixed team category.

Notes:
A recent survey by State Forest Department and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) found rare nesting of Pallid Fish Eagle in Corbett Tiger Reserve. The bird is also called Pallas’s sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle and is a large brownish sea eagle. It lives near lakes, marshes and rivers from lowlands up to 5,000 metres elevation. It is partially migratory, with Central Asian birds wintering in northern India and further west to the Persian Gulf. It is found across East Palearctic regions like Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Its IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List status is Endangered.