Current Affairs Quiz 5th August 2025 Quiz

Exp. India Receives Final C-295 Aircraft from Spain

India has received the final unit of 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft from Spain, completing the first phase of the ₹21,000 crore deal signed in September 2021 to modernize the Indian Air Force’s transport fleet.

The C-295 aircraft, with 5–10 tonne capacity and up to 11 hours of flight endurance, will replace the IAF’s ageing Avro fleet and enhance tactical transport capabilities with advanced technology.

Under the C-295 program, 40 of the total 56 aircraft will be manufactured in India, marking a major step toward defence indigenisation and boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative in the aerospace sector.

Exp. Dr. Mayank Sharma Assumes Charge as Financial Advisor (Defence Services)

Mayank Sharma took charge as the Financial Advisor (Defence Services). He is a 1989-batch officer from the Indian Defence Accounts Service with over 30 years of experience in various key government roles.

He has represented India on multiple international platforms, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and the UN Commission on International Trade Law.

Exp. BSNL and NRL Sign MoU to Launch India’s First 5G CNPN in Refinery Sector

BSNL and Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) have signed a landmark MoU to implement India’s first 5G Captive Non-Public Network (CNPN) in the refinery sector, marking a major step towards Industry 4.0 adoption in critical industries.

The collaboration aims to deliver secure, ultra-reliable, and real-time industrial connectivity using indigenous 5G infrastructure, enhancing mission-critical operations within the refinery environment.

Signed during the “Industry 4.0 Workshop for CPSEs” in Guwahati, the partnership is expected to serve as a replicable model for other sectors, driving digital transformation across India’s industrial landscape.

Recent MoU

• DPIIT Signs MoU with HDFC Capital to Boost Innovation in Affordable Housing and PropTech through H@ART Programme
• DPIIT Signs MoU with Roche India to Boost Innovation and Startup Growth in Healthcare Sector
• DPIIT Signs MoU with Ather Energy to Boost EV Manufacturing and Empower Startup Ecosystem
• Maruti Suzuki Partners with DPIIT to Support Tech-Driven Startups in Auto and Mobility Sector
• The National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Ltd. and Institute of Internal Auditors India (IIA India) signed an MoU to strengthen audit, governance, and risk management frameworks in Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).

Exp. Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi Inaugurates ‘Agnishodh’ Research Cell at IIT Madras

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi inaugurated ‘Agnishodh’, the Indian Army Research Cell at IIT Madras, to convert academic research into defence-ready technologies aligned with the Army’s Five Pillars of Transformation and the vision of “Swadeshikaran Se Sashaktikaran”.

The centre will collaborate with IIT Madras Research Park, AMTDC, and Pravartak Technologies Foundation, focusing on advanced domains like additive manufacturing, quantum computing, cybersecurity, wireless communication, and unmanned aerial systems, while also upskilling military personnel.

During his two-day visit, Gen. Dwivedi addressed OTA Chennai on grey zone warfare and hailed Operation Sindoor as a historic tri-service mission that forced a ceasefire within 88 hours; he also honoured four veterans with Veteran Achievers Awards.

Exp. VOC Port Becomes First in India to Produce Green Hydrogen

1. O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Thoothukudi has become the first Indian port to produce green hydrogen and generate over 1 MW of rooftop solar power.

The “Green Ports and Shipping – Chartering Sustainable Maritime Future” conference, held under the NAVIC Cell-3 initiative of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, aims to promote net-zero emissions in India’s maritime sector and showcases key developments like a planned green methanol bunkering facility and solid-waste-based methanol production.

Experts, including Vijay Kumar (IWAI), Abhay Bakre (NGHM), and Vibha Dhawan (TERI) emphasised coordinated efforts toward India’s 2070 net-zero goal through renewable energy adoption, promotion of green fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, and energy-efficient port equipment and policies.

Exp. Buddha’s Sacred Piprahwa Relics Returned to India After 127 Years

The sacred relics of the Buddha, originally excavated from Piprahwa (Uttar Pradesh) in 1898, were returned to India after 127 years, following successful diplomatic efforts to prevent their auction in Hong Kong.

The Government of India, with support from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), coordinated with global Buddhist networks and international missions to halt the Sotheby’s auction, where the relics reappeared alongside ornaments linked to the 1898 excavation.

The relics, linked to the Sakya clan—Buddha’s family—were originally discovered by British engineer William Claxton Peppe, and their return has been hailed as a powerful example of cultural diplomacy rooted in dharma and heritage.

Exp. India Launches First Scientifically Authenticated Monofloral Lavender Honey

India has developed its first scientifically bio-authenticated monofloral lavender honey, a landmark achievement led by CSIR–IIIM at its Pulwama Field Station in Jammu & Kashmir, under the CSIR Floriculture Mission.

The honey, derived from Lavandula angustifolia, was scientifically validated using advanced methods like fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, melissopalynology, GC-MS, and DNA barcoding, making it India’s first honey with such comprehensive authentication.

This innovation is expected to promote functional foods, sustainable agriculture, and rural entrepreneurship, offering a market-ready, export-oriented product backed by scientific research and rural empowerment goals.

Exp. LTIMindtree gets ₹792 cr contract from IT dept to overhaul PAN services

LTIMindtree has secured a ₹792 crore contract for the Income Tax Department’s PAN 2.0 project, making it one of the largest government e-governance projects awarded to a mid-tier IT company, as it aims to modernise taxpayer registration and PAN/TAN services.

The PAN 2.0 initiative, with a total budget of ₹1,435 crore, will consolidate services currently spread across the e-Filing Portal, UTIITSL, and Protean e-Gov portals into a single unified digital platform, streamlining processes like Aadhaar-PAN linking, allotment, re-issuance, updates, and validation.

Set to go live in 18 months, the project will introduce technology-driven innovation and enhanced security features to improve the taxpayer experience and efficiency of PAN/TAN issuance and management across India.

Exp. CM M.K. Stalin Inaugurates VinFast’s First EV Plant in India at Thoothukudi

Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin inaugurated VinFast’s first EV manufacturing plant in India, at Thoothukudi, built in just 17 months on a 408-acre site under a ₹16,000-crore MoU signed during the 2024 Global Investors Meet.

The plant, located in the SIPCOT industrial complex at Sillanatham, will initially produce 50,000 EVs annually, with capacity scaling up to 1.5 lakh units and creating over 3,500 jobs in the next five years, contributing to Tamil Nadu’s leadership in EV manufacturing.

CM Stalin highlighted that 40% of India’s EVs are made in Tamil Nadu, and praised VinFast for employing local youth under the ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ initiative while inviting parent company Vingroup to expand into sectors like education, healthcare, and technology in the State.

Exp. IndusInd Bank Appoints Rajiv Anand as CEO for Three-Year Term

IndusInd Bank has approved the appointment of Rajiv Anand as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a tenure of three years, starting from August 25, 2025, to August 24, 2028, as per a regulatory filing with stock exchanges.

A seasoned banking veteran, Rajiv Anand brings extensive leadership experience to the role, and his appointment marks a significant transition in the bank’s top management.

Recent Appointments in Banking & Insurance Sector

• CEO of Manappuram Finance – Deepak Reddy
• Ex-officio member of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) – Anju Rathi Rana
• Director on the RBI Central Board – Anuradha Thakur (replace Ajay Seth)
• Chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) – Ajay Seth (replace Debasish Panda); for 3 years
• MD & CEO of Paytm Money -Sandiip Bharadwaj (replace Rakesh Singh)

Exp. P B Balaji Appointed CEO of Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has appointed P B Balaji as its next Chief Executive Officer, making him the first Indian executive to lead the Tata Motors-owned British luxury carmaker.

Balaji, currently serving as Group CFO at Tata Motors, will assume the role of CEO in November 2025, succeeding Adrian Mardell, who is set to retire at the end of his contract.

Recent Appointments

• President of Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) – TCA Srinivasa Prasad (for the 2025–26 term)
• Vice President of Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) – Neeraj D Joshi (for the 2025–26 term)
• Head Coach of Indian Men’s Football Team – Khalid Jamil
• Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre – A. Rajarajan (replaec S. Unnikrishnan Nair)
• CEO of Air New Zealand – Indian-Origin Nikhil Ravishankar (replace Greg Foran)

Exp. Abdulla Aboobacker Wins Men’s Triple Jump Title at Qosanov Memorial 2025 with Narrow 1cm Lead

Indian triple jumper Abdulla Aboobacker clinched the men’s triple jump title at the Qosanov Memorial 2025 athletics meet held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with a winning leap of 16.08 metres, just 1 cm ahead of his South Korean rivals.

South Korea’s Yu Gyumin and Kim Jang-woo both recorded jumps of 16.07m, but Gyumin took silver on countback due to a better second-best jump. Aboobacker’s narrow victory highlights his competitive edge on the global stage.

Exp. First BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival Held in New Delhi

The first BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival, titled ‘SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody’, was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, featuring performances by artists from all seven BIMSTEC countries — India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar inaugurated the event, emphasizing that music acts as a bridge between nations, expresses cultural identity, and reflects the soul and dignity of society through its unifying power.

The festival was organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) as a follow-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment at the April 2025 BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand to enhance cultural cooperation through traditional music.

Exp. National Medicinal Plants Board Signs Two MoUs to Boost Conservation and Awareness

The National Medicinal Plants Board under the Ministry of Ayush signed two strategic memorandum of understanding to further boost the conservation efforts and create public awareness about medicinal Plants.

The MoUs are related to conserving germplasm of rare, endangered and threatened medicinal plants through tissue culture methods and the establishment of medicinal plants garden in the premises of All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.

Exp. Former Jharkhand CM and JMM Founder Shibu Soren Passes Away

Shibu Soren, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and co-founder of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), passed away at the age of 81.

A towering tribal leader, Shibu Soren served as the leader of JMM for 38 years and is widely revered as the founding patron of the party.