International Current Affairs MCQs

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SoLAR Phase II launched on 28 November 2025 by International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) to expand climate-resilient solar irrigation systems in South Asia and East Africa. SoLAR stands for Solar Irrigation for Agricultural Resilience in South Asia. Phase II expands climate-resilient, socially inclusive solar irrigation across India, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Ethiopia. It builds on SoLAR Phase I (2019–2024), which tested grid-connected and off-grid solar irrigation pumps (SIP), showing technical, economic, and environmental benefits. Phase II strengthens policy, financing, institutional capacity, and launched SolaReady, a spatial decision-support platform for solar irrigation planning.

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Rage bait was named the Word of the Year 2025 by Oxford University Press (OUP). Its online usage rose three times, showing changes in how people seek attention and engagement. It means online content made to provoke anger or outrage to increase views and traffic. The term first appeared in 2002 on Usenet with a different meaning linked to road rage. It later became popular in social media and digital journalism. It beat shortlisted words like aura farming and biohack. Rage bait boosts clicks and reactions, especially in politics and viral trends. Its advanced form is called rage farming, where anger is used repeatedly to drive engagement, often using misinformation.

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Tanzania launched a nationwide livestock vaccination campaign targeting cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens to curb zoonotic and transboundary diseases such as anthrax, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and Rift Valley Fever. The five-year programme (2025–2029) aims to vaccinate 19 million cattle, 17 million goats and sheep, and 40 million chickens. Tanzania has 36.6 million cattle, second largest in Africa; agriculture contributes 30% of GDP and supports 70% of rural population. Vaccination prevents livestock losses, reduces public health risks, and strengthens One Health approach linking human, animal, and environmental health.

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CUTS International has launched a new global initiative titled “Trade Not Just Aid: Winners and Losers in the WTO (TRaNJA)”, aimed at creating a constructive spirit to reposition and strengthen the World Trade Organization (WTO). The initiative focuses on promoting a more balanced global trading system by examining how different countries benefit or lose within current WTO frameworks. TRaNJA was launched during an event on “Shaping the Future of Global Trade in an era of shifting US Engagement, Emerging Powers, and Digital Innovation.”

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India and Israel launched a significant new agricultural partnership by creating a joint venture to manufacture and commercialise Indian pheromone-based crop protection technologies for global markets. The announcement was made at the valedictory session of the First International Science & Technology Clusters Conference in New Delhi. ATGC Biotech Pvt. Ltd. (India) and Luxembourg Industries Ltd. (Israel) exchanged licensing agreements to establish Semiophore Ltd., a 50–50 Indo-Israeli joint venture. This marks the first time Indian semiochemical technology is being out-licensed and manufactured in Israel, representing a milestone for both countries.

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Australia has implemented the world’s first nationwide ban on social media access for children below the age of 16 years, with the objective of strengthening child online safety and protecting minors from digital harms. The law places the responsibility of enforcement on social media companies rather than on children or their parents. It aims to shield minors from addictive algorithms, cyberbullying, online predators and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content, while promoting healthier boundaries between childhood, family life and the digital environment.

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Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi received Ethiopia’s highest civilian honour, “The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia,” from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The award was conferred during a special ceremony at the Addis International Convention Centre. It recognises Modi’s exceptional contribution to strengthening India–Ethiopia partnership and his global leadership. He became the first head of state/head of government globally to receive this honour. He dedicated the award to the 1.4 billion (140 crore) people of India.

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India recently reaffirmed its commitment to Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and religious harmony while participating in the 11th United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum held in Riyadh. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was established in 2005 as a political initiative to address rising tensions between cultures, religions, and civilizations. The initiative was proposed by Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary-General, to strengthen intercultural understanding and cooperation. The UNAOC was jointly co-sponsored by the governments of Spain and Turkey, reflecting a multilateral approach to promoting peace.

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Quad countries — Australia, India, Japan, and the United States — conducted their first Field Training Exercise (FTX) under the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN). The exercise took place on the sidelines of Operation Christmas Drop at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. The Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN) is a joint Quad initiative to strengthen shared logistics capabilities and enhance coordinated disaster response. The IPLN aims to enable Quad partners to respond more quickly and effectively during large-scale natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific region.

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China set a new world record by accelerating a one-ton superconducting magnetic levitation (Maglev) test vehicle from 0 to 700 kilometres per hour in about 2 seconds on a 400-metre track. Magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology uses magnetic fields to lift, guide and move vehicles without touching the track. The absence of physical contact eliminates friction, allowing very high speeds and smooth movement. Maglev works on magnetic repulsion, where like magnetic poles repel each other, or magnetic attraction, where electromagnets pull the vehicle upward. This technology shows strong potential for future ultra-fast transport systems.