International Current Affairs MCQs

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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.

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The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the second edition of the Brazil–India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech (Maitri 2.0) in New Delhi. The programme aims to foster innovation-driven growth and strengthen collaboration between Indian and Brazilian agritech ecosystems. It builds on the 77-year-long agricultural partnership between India and Brazil and aligns with cooperation under BRICS and the G20. ICAR has grown from 74 patents in 1996 to 1,800+ annually, with 5,000 licensing agreements supporting innovations. Maitri 2.0 is a two-way learning platform for co-creation, digital technologies, value-chain development, and sustainable farming.

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China has launched a new visa category called the “K Visa” to attract foreign science and technology talent. It was created by revising the Regulations on the Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners. The K Visa will come into effect from October 1, 2025. It is aimed at foreign youth and professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Eligible applicants include graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher from reputed universities or research institutions and STEM researchers or teachers. It allows multiple entries, longer validity, wider activities like education, entrepreneurship, and no need for local sponsorship.

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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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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev at World Food India 2025. They discussed creating a BRICS Grain Exchange to boost agricultural trade among BRICS member countries. The exchange aims to strengthen trade ties among BRICS member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It will facilitate smoother agricultural trade flows, enable price discovery, and reduce dependence on Western-dominated commodity markets. The platform will enhance food security by ensuring stable supplies of wheat, rice, and other staples. It will promote trade diversification and reduce reliance on Chicago and London commodity benchmarks.

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The Chinese ship “Istanbul Bridge” became the first commercial vessel to sail from Ningbo-Zhoushan (China) to Felixstowe (UK) via the Arctic in 18 days. This voyage marks the operational launch of the Polar Silk Route. The Polar Silk Route is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It is envisioned as a “blue economic corridor” through the Arctic Ocean. The route develops navigable Arctic sea passages connecting East Asia, North America, and Western Europe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) along Russia’s coast. It provides a shorter and more cost-effective shipping corridor between Asia and Europe compared to the Suez Canal route.

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India and the United Kingdom recently launched the India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC) at India Mobile Congress 2025. It is a strategic partnership to promote digital inclusion and build secure, innovative, and resilient communications. The initiative works under the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It links university research, lab testing, and market trials for next-generation technologies. Both nations will jointly invest £24 million (₹250 crore) to support research, joint testbeds, and global telecom standards.

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Sanae Takaichi was elected Japan’s first female Prime Minister on 21 October 2025, breaking the nation’s glass ceiling. She is a hardline conservative, admirer of former PM Shinzo Abe and Britain’s Margaret Thatcher. Takaichi received 237 votes in the 465-seat lower house, securing the premiership. Her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) formed a coalition with the Japan Innovation Party (Ishin) to consolidate power. She was approved by the upper house and will be sworn in as Japan’s 104th Prime Minister, succeeding Shigeru Ishiba.

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Saudi Arabia has officially ended the Kafala System, giving millions of migrant workers more rights and freedom. The Kafala System was a sponsor system tying migrant workers to a single employer, requiring employer consent to switch jobs or exit the country. Saudi Arabia will replace it with a contractual model under Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program. The new system allows job mobility, contract-based transfers, and exit/return rights without employer approval. Bahrain abolished Kafala in 2009; UAE partially reformed it in 2015; Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman still have strict Kafala rules.

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The World Trade Organization (WTO) recently credited India’s Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme for boosting exports from Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The DFTP scheme started in 2008 and provides preferential access to the Indian market for LDCs. The objective is to promote economic growth, diversify exports, and strengthen trade relations of LDCs. Duty-Free Access allows products from LDCs to enter India without import duties. The scheme helps LDCs expand trade and integrate into the global economy.