Summits and Conferences in Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The First International Pali Conference was organized at Kandy, Sri Lanka, by India’s Assistant High Commission in Kandy in partnership with the University of Peradeniya, in August 2025. The conference focused on “The Future of the Pali Language”. The event brought together scholars from Sri Lanka, India, and other countries. Discussions focused on Theravada traditions, manuscript studies, and Pali’s journey from a classical medium to a living language. It was the first international Pali conference hosted by the University of Peradeniya. Pali is recognised as a classical language in India by the Government of India.

Notes:
On the sidelines of the annual Chiefs of Defence Conference (CHODs) 2025, India’s Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) held meetings with senior defence officials from Vietnam, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Discussions focused on broadening defence cooperation, advancing maritime collaboration, professional military exchanges, and exploring technology partnerships. The CHODs 2025 conference was held at Dusit Thani Hua Hin, Thailand. The theme was “Peace through Strength – Ensuring Security and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.” The conference highlighted the importance of collaboration among nations to address complex and evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

Notes:
North East Region Ministers’ Conference on Civil Aviation 2025 & 3rd North East Aviation Summit held in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. The event was organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Government of India, with participation from North Eastern States and industry stakeholders. Operational airports in the region increased from 9 in 2014 to 16 in 2025; domestic passenger traffic more than tripled. UDAN scheme and skilling initiatives highlighted for employment generation and boosting regional aviation ecosystem.

Notes:
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar inaugurated the SAMHiTA Conference on South Asia’s Manuscript Traditions and Mathematical Contributions in New Delhi on 5 September 2025. SAMHiTA is an initiative to create a relational database and digital archive of Indian and South Asian manuscripts. The project focuses on manuscripts housed in libraries, archives, and repositories outside India. It is implemented through collaboration with institutional partners to preserve and promote the rich heritage of South Asian knowledge systems. The conference aims to strengthen research and accessibility of ancient manuscripts globally.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025 in Kolkata, West Bengal, from September 15 to 17. The Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) is the top-level forum of the Armed Forces for conceptual and strategic discussions with civil and military leadership. The theme for Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025 is “Year of Reforms – Transforming for the Future”. Focus areas are Reforms, Transformation and Change, and Operational Preparedness. It reflects commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration, and technological modernisation with multi-domain readiness.

Notes:
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the International Conference on Space 2025 in Bengaluru, highlighting India’s transformative space goals. India aims to establish a Bharatiya Space Station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040. The conference, themed “Harnessing Space for Global Progress: Innovation, Policy, and Growth,” hosted more than 500 delegates including government officials, industry leaders, academics, and startups. The conference was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), it focused on India’s evolving space strategy.

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Recently, the 2nd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States and Union Territories was held in New Delhi. The focus is to scale up action and execution against drugs. Strategy targets three types of cartels: entry-point operators, distributors from entry points to states, and local sellers. States are urged to adopt technologies like darknet analysis, cryptocurrency tracking, communication pattern analysis, logistics and financial flow analysis, metadata analysis, and machine learning models. Drug-Free India campaign runs in 372 districts, involving 10 crore people and 3 lakh educational institutions.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the two-day national conference MANTHAN 2025 in New Delhi on 18 September. The event is organised by the Directorate General of Defence Estates. Theme of conference is Strategic Roadmap to Aatmanirbhar Bharat @2047. Focus areas include re-imagining defence land management, using advanced digital tools, strengthening governance, and ensuring sustainability. The inaugural session highlighted achievements of the Defence Estates Department in defence land governance. A strategic roadmap to Viksit Bharat by 2047 was also presented.

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The 5th World Teak Conference (WTC) was held at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kochi, Kerala on September 17, 2025. India hosted the summit for the first time. More than 350 delegates from 40+ countries attended, including forestry scientists, policymakers, researchers, and trade representatives. The conference focused on sustainable teak management, conservation, and the future of the global teak industry.

Notes:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in 2027. Authorities have been directed to begin preparations in Islamabad for the event. The next SCO Summit in 2026 will be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. SCO is a permanent intergovernmental regional organisation focusing on political, economic, and security cooperation in Eurasia. The organisation promotes the “Shanghai Spirit”, which emphasises mutual trust, benefit, equality, and peaceful coexistence.