Weekly Current Affairs Test : 22nd to 30th September 2025

The Indian Navy’s Eastern Naval Command hosted a two-day seminar on Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, highlighting India’s maritime surveillance strength. INS Rajali is an Indian Naval Air Station near Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, commissioned on 11 March 1992. It is spread over 2,200 acres, 80 km west of Chennai, and is the largest and most modern Naval Air Station with 4,700 personnel. It has the longest military runway in Asia and supports both operations and training.

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.

Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated NATO member Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes. The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, covering 30,000 sq.km. It extends 400 km east to west and 19–130 km north to south, bordered by Finland, Russia, and Estonia. Capitals Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia) lie on its shores, with St. Petersburg at the eastern end. The gulf is shallow, average depth 38 m, low salinity (6‰), and freezes 3–5 months in winter. It receives Neva and Narva rivers and the Saimaa Canal.

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Adamya, first of eight Adamya-class Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), was commissioned at Paradip Port, Odisha on 19 September 2025. The 51-meter vessel is indigenously built by Goa Shipyard Limited with over 60% local content under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. ICGS Adamya will be based at Paradip under ICG Region (North East) to safeguard India’s maritime interests. It is the first ship with indigenous Controllable Pitch Propellers and gearboxes for superior manoeuvrability.

A new edible mushroom species named Lactifluus khasianus has been discovered in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. It was already known to Khasi tribes as “Tit iongnah” and used as a seasonal delicacy during the monsoon. The mushroom grows with Khasi pine (Pinus kesiya) at 1,600 metres altitude. It differs from related species by its chocolate-brown cap, larger cystidia, and DNA markers. It is the fifth confirmed Lactifluus sect. Gerardii species in India, but the first edible one. Meghalaya contributes significantly to India’s 34+ Lactifluus species diversity.

China’s spy ship Yuan Wang 5 has returned to the Indian Ocean region near India, three years after docking at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port in August 2022. India is preparing for a hypersonic long-range anti-ship missile test over the Bay of Bengal (Sept 24–25, 2025), raising New Delhi’s security concerns over Yuan Wang 5’s presence. It is a satellite and missile tracking vessel of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy with dual-use snooping capability. It validates intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic weapons, collecting telemetry data for performance and readiness. The ship displaces 25,000 tons, is 222 metres long, 25 metres wide, and carries 400 crew members.

Project Vijayak of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 15th Raising Day at Kargil, Ladakh on 21 September 2025, marking entry into its 16th year. It was launched in 2010 by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and named after Operation Vijay to reflect the connection between the battle theatre and the project area. It has built 1,400 km of roads and 80 major bridges across Ladakh. In April 2025, it achieved a record by reopening the Zojila Pass in just 31 days after winter closure. The project has improved operational preparedness of Armed Forces and connectivity for Ladakh’s people.

State Level Technical Committee (SLTC) approved two sewage treatment plant (STP) projects along the Indrayani River in Pimpri Chinchwad to curb water pollution. Indrayani River is located in Maharashtra and is a tributary of the Bhima River, which flows into the Krishna River. It is a rain-fed river originating from the Western Ghats near Lonavala along the Mumbai-Pune Highway. The river flows through Pune district and merges with the Bhima River at Tulapur, covering 105.3 km. The STP projects aim to revitalize the Indrayani River, protecting both religious sites and urban water needs.

Researchers discovered a new flowering plant species Impatiens selvasinghii in Kudremukh range of the Western Ghats, Karnataka. It was found at 1,630 meters altitude during field exploration. The species is named after Prof. P Selva Singh Richard of Madras Christian College for his contribution to botany. It is one of the smallest flowered balsams in the Western Ghats, with unique lobed wing petals. Small insects depend on this plant for survival. India has over 280 taxa of Impatiens, with 210 endemic, 130 in the Western Ghats, and 80% of them endangered.

Minor volcanic eruptions occurred twice on September 13 and 20, 2025, at Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Barren Island is India’s only active volcano and located in the Andaman Sea. It lies above the subduction zone of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates. Past eruptions were recorded in 1787, 1991, 2005, 2017, and 2022.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the United Nations in India launched the Adi Yuva Fellowship and Adi Karmayogi Volunteers Programme under Adi Karmayogi Abhiyan. The Abhiyan, inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 17 September 2025 during Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh, aims to engage 11 crore citizens in one lakh tribal villages across 550 districts of 30 States and Union Territories. Adi Yuva Fellowship will provide a 12-month paid fellowship with mentorship, health insurance, and links to skilling schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0 and PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. The initiative strengthens inclusive governance and prepares tribal youth as leaders for Viksit Bharat 2047.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India launched its Online Short Term Internship Programme (OSTI) for September 2025 on 22 September. From 896 applications, 80 students from 21 States and Union Territories were selected for the two-week programme running until 3 October 2025. The programme aims to provide understanding of human rights promotion and protection in India. Focus areas include constitutional rights, civil, political, social, cultural rights, climate change, artificial intelligence, cybercrime, and gig economy exploitation. Interns are trained in international human rights law, domestic issues, and advocacy strategies to become informed human rights ambassadors.

Union Minister for Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, India’s largest school hackathon. It is organised by Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and AICTE. The initiative promotes innovation under themes Vocal for Local, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swadeshi, and Samriddhi. It builds on School Innovation Marathon 2024, which created Student Innovator and Entrepreneurship Programmes.

Karnataka government launched LEAP (Local Economy Accelerator Programme) with ₹1,000 crore investment for 5 years. The programme supports Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns with infrastructure, co-working spaces, mentorship, and market access. A 3.5-acre Technology Park in Mangaluru will provide space for 3,500 people. Karnataka follows the 3P strategy – people, policy, participation. The state plans 500 new Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in 4 years, creating 5 lakh jobs, and will soon launch a Circular Economy Policy.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer received the Living Bridge Award for promoting closer India-UK relations and securing the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Seema Malhotra, Indian-origin Minister for the Indo-Pacific in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), accepted the award on his behalf. The Living Bridge Awards, organised by India Business Group (IBG), also honoured GMR Group, businessman G P Hinduja, KPMG UK chair Bina Mehta, and University of Southampton. The India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to double bilateral trade to USD 120 billion by 2030.

World Food India (WFI) 2025 is organized by Ministry of Food Processing Industries on September 25-28, 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. It aims to position India as a Global Food Hub and attract global partnerships in food processing. Previous editions were held in 2017, 2023, and 2024, making this the largest edition with 90+ countries, 2,000 exhibitors, and tens of thousands of stakeholders. The Partner Countries for WFI 2025 are New Zealand and Saudi Arabia and the Focus Countries are Japan, UAE, Vietnam, and Russia. The event supports Viksit Bharat 2047 vision by promoting sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, rural prosperity, farmer incomes, and job creation in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

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.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti organised a virtual workshop on “Technology for Efficient Water Management” in the Sujalam Bharat Summit 2025. The Sujalam Bharat Summit is a national initiative led by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and coordinated by NITI Aayog. It focuses on water management, sanitation, and sustainable practices. The summit aims to bring grassroots perspectives into national policy-making in line with the Prime Minister’s vision.

Recently, UNESCO placed the Varkala Cliff in Kerala on its tentative list of World Heritage Sites. It is located in Varkala town, Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The cliff exposes the Warkalli Formation of the Mio-Pliocene age, dating from 13 lakh to 2.5 crore years ago. It is locally known as Sivagiri Thuruthu. The cliff has laterite and sedimentary layers with fossils and traces of ancient climates. It serves as a crucial aquifer, supports biodiversity, underwater reefs, and coastal fishing. It is India’s 27th national geological monument and the second in Kerala after Angadipuram Laterite.

Recently, researchers from the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Kochi under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), discovered a new finless snake eel species. The species is named Apterichtus kanniyakumari to honour Kanniyakumari’s cultural, linguistic, historical, and geographical significance. It was discovered off the Colachel coast in Tamil Nadu at a depth of about 100 metres during deep-sea trawling. The eel shows unique features like golden-yellow body, pale white head underside, yellow jaw lines, and three distinct black blotches. This is the 16th marine species discovered from the Indian coast by the NBFGR team.

The National Geoscience Awards (NGA) 2024 were conferred by President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, on 26th September 2025. The award was instituted in 1966 by the Ministry of Mines. These awards were earlier called National Mineral Awards till 2009. They honour excellence in mineral discovery, mining technology, beneficiation, and applied geosciences. For 2024, 208 nominations were received, and 12 awards were finalized through a three-stage process. A total of 20 geoscientists received the awards, including 9 individual and 3 team awards.

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a halt on all construction within one kilometre of the Pallikaranai Marshland until a scientific study identifies its zone of influence. The order came in a suo motu case based on reports of landfilling and construction in Perumbakkam wetland, which is hydrologically linked t Pallikaranai. Pallikaranai Marshland is a freshwater marsh and partly saline wetland located about 20 km south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It acts as an aquatic buffer for the flood-prone Chennai and Chengalpattu districts.

Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 4th issue of Children in India 2025 Report at the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organizations (CoCSSO) in Chandigarh on 25th September 2025. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined from 44 in 2011 to 25 in 2023, with male IMR at 26 and female at 25. Under-five mortality rate improved to 29 in 2023, lower in urban areas (20) than rural (33). Birth rate in 2023 declined to 18.4 per 1,000 population, with higher rural rate (20.3) than urban (14.9). Gender Parity Index (GPI) in education achieved parity nationally, highest at secondary level with 1.1. Adoptions increased from 3,927 in 2017-18 to 4,515 in 2024-25, with more female children adopted than male.

The 12th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS-XII) was held at Doon University, Dehradun on 26 September. Sustainable Mountain Development Summit is a flagship annual summit addressing ecological, economic, and social challenges of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). It is organised by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), a civil society-led network. The aim is to promote sustainable Himalayan development, strengthen community participation, and blend science with traditional wisdom.

Recently, more than 1,200 earthquakes around Greece’s Santorini Island showed that Santorini and Kolumbo volcano share an underground magma reservoir. The Santorini and Kolumbo volcanoes are located in Greece, in the southern Aegean Sea, forming part of the Hellenic Volcanic Arc. Seismic and GPS data (2024–25) proved both volcanoes are interconnected through a common magma system. This is the first scientific evidence of their magmatic link, complicating eruption forecasting and highlighting the need for real-time monitoring. Both lie in the Hellenic Volcanic Arc, one of Europe’s most active volcanic zones, critical for global disaster management studies.

A 54-kilometre-long elevated road bridge is planned over the Nallamala forests of Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Telangana. The bridge aims to protect forests and wildlife while allowing traffic, serving as a potential model project for India. Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in Telangana. Originally part of Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve before Andhra Pradesh-Telangana bifurcation in 2014.

India’s first dedicated space astronomy observatory, AstroSat, completed 10 years of operation on 28 September 2025. It was launched on 28 September 2015 by PSLV-C30 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C30) XL from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Though designed for 5 years, it continues to provide valuable data after a decade. AstroSat studies the universe across multi-wavelengths: UV (Ultraviolet), Visible, Low and High Energy X-rays. It was developed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) with collaboration from Indian institutes and partners from Canada and the UK.

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.

The Indian Navy recently concluded the Jal Prahar 2025 joint exercise with the Indian Army along the eastern seaboard. It is a biannual joint amphibious exercise to strengthen synergy and interoperability between the two forces. The exercise aims to enhance operational readiness, maritime security, and national defence capabilities. The Harbour Phase was held at Visakhapatnam with induction of army troops onboard INS Gharial, onboard training, safety briefings, orientation, and camaraderie activities. The Sea Phase of Jal Prahar 2025 was held from September 21 to 23 at Kakinada. It showcased amphibious operations to test joint capabilities.

The Uttar Pradesh government recently warned District Magistrates to complete farmer registration under the Agri-Stack scheme within the given time or face strict action. The Agri-Stack scheme is a digital foundation created to provide data-centric services for improving Indian agriculture and empowering farmers. It integrates farmer data, land records, and scheme benefits on a centralized digital platform. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare with support from State Revenue and Agriculture departments. It acts as a foundational digital layer that allows government and private entities to deliver tailored services using accurate and updated farmer data.