Current Affairs Quiz – September 2025

Notes:
Karnataka has proposed raising Almatti Dam height from 519.60 metres to 524.256 metres. The dam’s capacity will increase from 173 Thousand Million Cubic feet (TMC) to 300 TMC. Almatti Dam is a hydroelectric and irrigation project forming the main reservoir of the Upper Krishna Irrigation Project. The dam was commissioned in 2005 with an installed power generation capacity of 290 Megawatts (MW). It is located in Bijapur (Vijayapura) district, Karnataka, with submergence in Bagalkot district. The dam is built across the Krishna River, one of South India’s major east-flowing rivers.

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Recently, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research / Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR/CSIR) Scheme “Capacity Building and Human Resource Development (CBHRD)” with an outlay of Rs.2277.397 crore for 2021-22 to 2025-26. The scheme is implemented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and covers Research & Development institutions, national laboratories, Institutes of National Importance, Institutes of Eminence, and Universities. It provides opportunities for young researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Medical, and Mathematical Sciences (STEMM).

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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the 2025 Young Champions of the Earth award recognising innovators from India, Kenya , and the United States. The award is UNEP’s flagship youth engagement initiative for entrepreneurs under 30. The Young Champions program, founded by UNEP in 2017, was relaunched in 2025 with Mr. Kemper as UNEP’s Advocate for Partnerships. Jinali Mody (India) won the 2025 UNEP Young Champions of the Earth award for founding Banofi Leather, producing eco-friendly leather from banana crop waste, reducing water use, chemical pollution, and carbon emissions. Joseph Nguthiru (Kenya) won for HyaPak, converting invasive water hyacinth into biodegradable packaging and seedling wrappers, reducing single-use plastics. Noemi Florea (United States) won for Cycleau, developing a compact greywater reuse system that turns household wastewater into drinking water with low energy consumption.

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The External Affairs Minister of India hosted a meeting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) foreign ministers in New York. FIPIC is a multinational grouping launched by India in 2014 for cooperation with 14 Pacific Island nations. Member countries include Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. FIPIC aims to strengthen cooperation in politics, economy, trade, investment, culture, health, education, infrastructure, and disaster management.

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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.

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The United Nations (UN) observes the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons every year on 26th September. The day raises awareness about nuclear dangers and promotes complete elimination of nuclear weapons. The first celebration of the day was on 26th September 2014. As of 2025, approximately 12,241 nuclear weapons exist worldwide. Countries with nuclear weapons are investing in well-funded, long-term modernization of their arsenals. More than 50% of the global population lives in countries that possess nuclear weapons or are part of nuclear alliances.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched ‘NORKA Care’, a health and accident insurance scheme for Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) and Keralite students abroad. The scheme is under NORKA Roots and will be operational from Kerala Piravi Day (November 1, 2025). NRKs and students with NORKA ID cards will get Rs 5 lakh health insurance and Rs 10 lakh accident cover. The scheme offers low premiums, coverage for pre-existing diseases, and no waiting periods. It aims to ensure safety, welfare, and medical access for expatriate Malayalis.

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A biodiversity survey recently recorded Beddome’s cat skink (Ristella beddomii) for the first time at Aralam and Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuaries. It is also known as Beddome’s ristella and is named after Richard Henry Beddome, a British naturalist. The species is rare and endemic to the Western Ghats. It is a small reddish brown lizard with retractile claws and bicarinate scales. Skink is the common name of lizards in the family Scincidae and this reptile group has existed since the dinosaur era.

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Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh addressed the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation. The conference was held at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy. He highlighted India’s farmer-centric initiatives, innovations, and transformations driving inclusive growth in the livestock and dairy sector. India serves as the First Vice Chair of the FAO Sub-Committee on Livestock. The livestock sector supports nearly two-thirds of rural households and millions of small farmers, many being women. India is the world’s largest milk producer, second-largest egg producer, and a leading buffalo meat exporter.

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A new 3D map of stellar nurseries has been created using data from the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA) telescope. The map covers star-forming regions within 4,000 light-years of the Sun in all directions. It shows glowing hydrogen gas clouds, helping scientists study star formation and interstellar gas dynamics. The study combines Gaia dust maps with radiation effects from 87 massive O-type stars emitting ultraviolet light that ionises hydrogen gas. The simulation aligns with older hydrogen emission maps but provides higher precision. GAIA, launched in 2013 by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to create the most precise 3D map of the Milky Way Galaxy. The telescope is positioned at Lagrange Point 2 (L2), 1.5 million km from Earth, for a stable cosmic view.