Summits and Conferences in Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit was recently held in Egypt’s Red Sea city. India was represented by Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh. The summit was jointly chaired by US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Leaders from over 20 countries attended, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, UK PM Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Spain’s Pedro Sánchez, and France’s Emmanuel Macron. Hamas did not participate; Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s presence was uncertain. The meeting followed a US-mediated hostage swap and truce between Israel and Hamas. India’s participation highlighted its diplomatic role in West Asia without overcommitting.

Notes:
The World Health Summit (WHS) 2025 is held from October 12-14 in Berlin, Germany. The theme is “Taking Responsibility for Health in a Fragmenting World.” The summit features over 70 sessions with high-level global health experts. World Health Summit (WHS) 2025 serves as a platform to share knowledge, foster collaboration, and drive actionable health initiatives globally.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) organised a two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar presided over the conference. The conference assessed the Offices of the CEOs of all States and Union Territories (UTs) for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise nationwide. The conference followed the SIR preparedness meeting held last month, where States and UTs presented elector data and electoral roll updates.

Notes:
The 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit will be held from October 31 to November 1, 2025. The summit will take place in the historic city of Gyeongju, South Korea. It will serve as the annual meeting of APEC leaders to discuss regional economic cooperation. APEC, founded in 1989, is a regional economic forum promoting trade, sustainable growth, and integration across the Asia-Pacific region. The forum aims to ensure inclusive and innovative development among member economies. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to attend the summit. APEC operates through voluntary cooperation with no binding treaty commitments.

Notes:
The International Salinity Conference (WE-CARE 2025) is jointly hosted by ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal, and ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI), Goa. The event is scheduled from 29th October to 1st November 2025. The conference focuses on addressing global challenges of soil and water salinity affecting agriculture and ecosystems. It aims to promote sustainable farming practices, share research innovations, and develop policy recommendations for restoring saline-affected lands.

Notes:
Ethiopia is set to be officially confirmed as the host of COP32 in 2027, becoming the first East African nation to organize a UN Climate Change Conference. The announcement was made by COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago during the opening of COP30 in Belem, Brazil. It is a federal republic and among the oldest independent nations with a strong legacy in African unity. The country is located in the Horn of Africa with its capital in Addis Ababa, which also hosts the African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Notes:
The 22nd All India Annual TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) Conference and Principal Chief Commissioners’ Conclave was recently held at Hotel Taj Lakefront in Bhopal. It was organised by the Income Tax Department of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh with the Principal Director General of Income Tax (Administration & TPS) under CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes). A special awareness poster promoting voluntary tax compliance and timely TDS deductions was unveiled.

Notes:
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) hosted the 3rd International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH 2025) on November 11–12, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The two-day event brought together policymakers, scientists, researchers, and industry leaders to shape India’s green hydrogen roadmap. It was organised with support from the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), Department of Science and Technology (DST), and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR).

Notes:
The Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) is hosting its 64th annual conference at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), Bengaluru, on November 20-21. The conference theme is “Innovations in Aerospace Medicine: Infinite Possibilities,” emphasizing safety and performance of aviators. ISAM, established in 1952, is India’s only registered society dedicated to aerospace medicine for military, civil aviation, and spaceflight programs.

Notes:
NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and IAMAI (Internet and Mobile Association of India) recently organized the first Earth Summit 2025-26 in Hyderabad on 20–21 November with the theme Empowering Rural Innovation for Global Change. The second edition is scheduled for Gandhinagar on 5–6 December 2025, and the third for New Delhi in February 2026. The summit served as a global platform to drive policy outcomes, investments, and collaborations for rural transformation.