1. What was the theme of India’s 79th Independence Day celebrations in 2025?
a) Viksit Bharat
b) Naya Bharat
c) Atmanirbhar Bharat
d) Swachh Bharat
e) Digital India
Answer: b) Naya Bharat
2. Which service coordinated the 79th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in 2025?
a) Indian Army
b) Indian Navy
c) Indian Air Force
d) Indian Coast Guard
e) Central Armed Police Forces
Answer: c) Indian Air Force
3. How long was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12th Independence Day speech in 2025?
a) 90 minutes
b) 95 minutes
c) 100 minutes
d) 103 minutes
e) 110 minutes
Answer: d) 103 minutes
4. Which of the following was a key announcement made during the 79th Independence Day speech?
a) National Digital Literacy Mission
b) PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
c) Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2.0
d) National Rural Education Mission
e) Urban Mobility Scheme
Answer: b) PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana
5. How many Gallantry Awards were approved by President Droupadi Murmu for Armed Forces and CAPFs personnel in 2025?
a) 100
b) 127
c) 150
d) 167
e) 200
Answer: b) 127
6. How many Tatrakshak Medals were awarded to Indian Coast Guard personnel on the 79th Independence Day?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 4
d) 5
e) 6
Answer: d) 5
7. When was the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) launched?
a) August 15, 2017
b) August 15, 2018
c) August 15, 2019
d) August 15, 2020
e) August 15, 2021
Answer: c) August 15, 2019
8. What is the primary aim of the Jal Jeevan Mission?
a) Provide electricity to rural households
b) Provide functional household tap connections
c) Improve rural road connectivity
d) Enhance rural education
e) Promote organic farming
Answer: b) Provide functional household tap connections
9. As of July 2025, what percentage of rural households in India were connected to tap water under JJM?
a) 75%
b) 78%
c) 81%
d) 85%
e) 90%
Answer: c) 81%
10. How many fluoride-affected habitations remained in 2025 under the Jal Jeevan Mission?
a) 200
b) 248
c) 300
d) 350
e) 400
Answer: b) 248
11. What is the purpose of the AI-powered tool ‘SabhaSaar’ launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj?
a) Monitor rural infrastructure projects
b) Generate structured Minutes of Meeting from Gram Sabha recordings
c) Provide real-time weather updates
d) Track rural employment schemes
e) Facilitate online education
Answer: b) Generate structured Minutes of Meeting from Gram Sabha recordings
12. Which state was the first to implement the SabhaSaar tool for Gram Sabha meetings?
a) Uttar Pradesh
b) Tripura
c) Rajasthan
d) Maharashtra
e) Kerala
Answer: b) Tripura
13. Which mission is the SabhaSaar tool integrated with to support multilingual capabilities?
a) Digital India
b) Bhashini
c) Ayushman Bharat
d) Swachh Bharat
e) Skill India
Answer: b) Bhashini
14. What is the primary purpose of the ‘e-Sushrut@Clinic’ system launched by NHA and C-DAC?
a) Provide telemedicine for rural areas only
b) Develop a cloud-based HMIS for outpatient clinics
c) Offer free healthcare insurance
d) Create a digital vaccination platform
e) Monitor hospital staff performance
Answer: b) Develop a cloud-based HMIS for outpatient clinics
15. Under which mission does the e-Sushrut@Clinic system operate?
a) National Quantum Mission
b) Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
c) Jal Jeevan Mission
d) Swachh Bharat Mission
e) Digital India Mission
Answer: b) Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
16. How many AIIMS currently use C-DAC’s e-Sushrut software?
a) 10
b) 12
c) 15
d) 17
e) 20
Answer: d) 17
17. Where was the 12th edition of the SLINEX 2025 maritime exercise held?
a) Mumbai, India
b) Colombo, Sri Lanka
c) Chennai, India
d) Visakhapatnam, India
e) Galle, Sri Lanka
Answer: b) Colombo, Sri Lanka
18. Which Indian Naval Ship participated in the SLINEX 2025 exercise?
a) INS Vikramaditya
b) INS Jyoti
c) INS Vikrant
d) INS Kolkata
e) INS Mumbai
Answer: b) INS Jyoti
19. What is the significance of the SLINEX 2025 exercise?
a) Promote tourism in Sri Lanka
b) Enhance maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka
c) Conduct joint military training on land
d) Develop new naval technology
e) Facilitate trade agreements
Answer: b) Enhance maritime cooperation between India and Sri Lanka
20. Which banks signed MoUs with NSIC to boost credit access for MSMEs in August 2025?
a) SBI, PNB, BOB, ICICI, HDFC
b) Axis, Dhanlaxmi, Karnataka, AU Small Finance, IndusInd
c) Canara, UBI, Yes Bank, Kotak, Federal
d) IDBI, Indian Bank, HSBC, Citi, RBL
e) Bandhan, Ujjivan, South Indian Bank, DCB, Standard Chartered
Answer: b) Axis, Dhanlaxmi, Karnataka, AU Small Finance, IndusInd
21. What is the primary objective of NSIC’s MoUs with private banks?
a) Promote digital banking
b) Streamline financing for MSMEs
c) Support agricultural loans
d) Enhance cybersecurity in banking
e) Develop rural infrastructure
Answer: b) Streamline financing for MSMEs
22. Which shipyard built the INS Ikshak, delivered to the Indian Navy in August 2025?
a) Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
b) Cochin Shipyard
c) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
d) Hindustan Shipyard
e) Goa Shipyard
Answer: c) Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
23. What is the displacement of INS Ikshak, the third Survey Vessel (Large)?
a) 2,800 tons
b) 3,000 tons
c) 3,400 tons
d) 3,800 tons
e) 4,000 tons
Answer: c) 3,400 tons
24. Where was the Pasang Wangchuk Sona ISRO Space Laboratory inaugurated?
a) Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
b) Mechuka, Arunachal Pradesh
c) Guwahati, Assam
d) Shillong, Meghalaya
e) Aizawl, Mizoram
Answer: b) Mechuka, Arunachal Pradesh
25. Who collaborated with ISRO to set up the Pasang Wangchuk Sona Space Laboratory?
a) Muskaan Foundation
b) National Skill Development Corporation
c) National Health Authority
d) Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
e) National Informatics Centre
Answer: a) Muskaan Foundation
26. What is the mascot of the 1st Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025?
a) Snow Leopard
b) Himalayan Kingfisher
c) Shikara Bird
d) Dal Lake Heron
e) Kashmir Sparrow
Answer: b) Himalayan Kingfisher
27. Where is the Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 scheduled to be held?
a) Chilika Lake, Odisha
b) Dal Lake, Srinagar
c) Vembanad Lake, Kerala
d) Loktak Lake, Manipur
e) Pangong Lake, Ladakh
Answer: b) Dal Lake, Srinagar
28. Who was La. Ganesan, who passed away in August 2025?
a) Chief Minister of Nagaland
b) Governor of Nagaland
c) Union Minister of Education
d) Chief Justice of India
e) ISRO Chairman
Answer: b) Governor of Nagaland
29. Which organization did La. Ganesan lead to promote Tamil literature?
a) Tamil Sangam
b) Pottramarai
c) Ore Naadu
d) Tamil Nadu Literary Society
e) Bharatiya Sahitya Academy
Answer: b) Pottramarai
30. What is the purpose of the Letter of Intent signed between IBM and the Maharashtra Government?
a) Develop AI-based healthcare solutions
b) Advance the quantum computing ecosystem
c) Promote cybersecurity in banking
d) Enhance rural digital infrastructure
e) Support renewable energy projects
Answer: b) Advance the quantum computing ecosystem
Current Affairs Today: 16 August 2025
National Affairs
79th Independence Day Celebrations (August 15, 2025)
- Event: Held at Red Fort, New Delhi, with PM Narendra Modi delivering his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech (103 minutes, longest ever).
- Theme: ‘Naya Bharat’, aligning with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
- Coordinating Service: Indian Air Force (IAF) led the event, featuring a Guard of Honour, 21-gun salute, and flypast with the national flag and Operation Sindoor flag.
- Key Announcements:
- Launch of PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PM-VBRY).
- Sudarshan Mission by 2035.
- National High-Powered Demography Mission.
- GST Reforms by October 2025.
- ‘Made-in-India’ semiconductor chips available by end of 2025.
- Awards:
- Gallantry/Service Medals: 1,090 personnel from Police, Fire, Home Guard, Civil Defence, and Correctional Services received awards.
- Gallantry Awards: President Droupadi Murmu approved 127 Gallantry Awards and 40 Distinguished Service Awards for Armed Forces and CAPFs.
- Tatrakshak Medals: 3 Gallantry and 2 Meritorious Service Medals awarded to Indian Coast Guard personnel.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – 6 Years (August 14, 2025)
- Overview: Launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to rural households by 2024, extended to 2028 with increased funding.
- Achievements:
- 15.69 crore rural households (81% of rural India) connected to tap water by July 2025.
- Over 2.63 lakh villages and 191 districts declared ‘Har Ghar Jal’.
- Tap water in 9.5 lakh schools and 10 lakh Anganwadi centres.
- 79.32% tap water coverage in 112 Aspirational Districts.
- Fluoride-affected habitations reduced from 7,996 (2019) to 248 (2025).
- Technology: Uses modern tech for transparency and reliability.
SabhaSaar AI Tool Launch (August 2025)
- Launched by: Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in New Delhi.
- Purpose: AI-powered tool to generate structured Minutes of Meeting (MoM) from Gram Sabha and Panchayat meeting recordings.
- Features:
- Uses AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to transcribe discussions, identify decisions, and produce summaries.
- Integrated with Bhashini (National Language Translation Mission, launched July 2022) for multilingual support (13 Indian languages).
- Initial Implementation: Used by 1,194 Gram Panchayats in Tripura for Special Gram Sabhas on August 15, 2025.
- Objective: Enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in local governance.
e-Sushrut@Clinic Launch (August 2025)
- MoU: Signed between National Health Authority (NHA) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in New Delhi.
- Purpose: Launch of ‘e-Sushrut@Clinic’, a cloud-based Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) for outpatient clinics under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
- Features:
- Tailored for OP management, pharmacy, and nursing modules.
- Supports digital patient records, telemedicine, and free AIIMS Clinical Decision Support Systems for hypertension and diabetes.
- Adoption: Used by 17 AIIMS and over 4,000 health facilities.
International Affairs
SLINEX-2025 (August 14–18, 2025)
- Event: 12th India-Sri Lanka Navy bilateral maritime exercise held in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- Phases: Harbour Phase (Aug 14–16) and Sea Phase (Aug 17–18).
- Aim: Enhance maritime cooperation, mutual trust, and tactical interoperability.
- Significance: Supports India’s MAHASAGAR policy for regional security and growth.
- Participants:
- Indian Navy: INS Jyoti (Fleet Tanker) and INS Rana (Guided Missile Destroyer).
- Sri Lanka Navy: SLNS Gajabahu, Vijayabahu (Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels), and SLNS Sayura (Offshore Patrol Vessel).
Banking & Finance
NSIC MoUs with Private Banks (August 2025)
- Entities: National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) under MoMSME signed MoUs with Axis Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank, Karnataka Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, and IndusInd Bank.
- Objective: Enhance credit access for MSMEs under the MSME Credit Facilitation Programme.
- Benefits: Streamline financing, improve last-mile connectivity, and support MSME growth and formalization.
- Key People: MoUs exchanged by NSIC Director (Finance) Gaurav Gulati, in the presence of Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and NSIC CMD Dr. S. S. Acharya.
Science & Technology
INS Ikshak Delivery (August 14, 2025)
- Event: Indian Navy received INS Ikshak, the 3rd of 4 Survey Vessel (Large) ships, from GRSE in Kolkata.
- Details:
- Built under Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata), designed by Warship Design Bureau.
- First SVL with accommodation for women officers and sailors.
- 3,400-ton displacement, 110m length, equipped with advanced hydrographic systems (DAPS, AUV, ROV, DGPS, DSSS).
- Significance: 75th warship delivered by GRSE to Indian Navy, 802nd ship and 113th warship built by GRSE.
ISRO-Supported Space Laboratory (August 2025)
- Event: Inauguration of Pasang Wangchuk Sona ISRO Space Laboratory at Mechuka Govt. Higher Secondary School, Shi-Yomi, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Collaboration: ISRO and Muskaan Foundation (Bihar).
- Purpose: Provide practical exposure to space science, fostering innovation and curiosity.
- NE-SPARKS Programme: 100 students from each Northeastern state to visit ISRO HQ in Bengaluru to promote space science awareness.
Sports
Khelo India Water Sports Festival 2025 (August 21–23, 2025)
- Event: Unveiling of mascot, logo, anthem, jingle, and jerseys in Srinagar, J&K, by Minister Satish Sharma.
- Details:
- Mascot: Himalayan Kingfisher, symbolizing adventure and eco-friendly sports.
- Logo: Features Shikara on Dal Lake with snow-capped mountains.
- Events: Rowing, canoeing, kayaking (medal events); water skiing, shikara race, dragon boat race (demonstration).
- Collaboration: Hosted by J&K Sports Council, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, and Sports Authority of India.
Obituary
La. Ganesan (1945–August 15, 2025)
- Profile: Former Nagaland Governor (Feb 2023–Aug 2025), Manipur Governor (2021–2023), and West Bengal Governor (2022).
- Political Career: BJP leader, Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh (2016), former TN BJP President (2006–2009).
- Literary Contribution: Led Pottramarai (Golden Lotus) for Tamil literature, edited BJP’s Tamil magazine Ore Naadu.
- Background: Began as Revenue Settlement Inspector, later joined RSS as a full-time pracharak in 1970.
State News
IBM-Maharashtra LoI on Quantum Computing (August 2025)
- Event: IBM signed a Letter of Intent with Maharashtra Government to advance quantum computing ecosystem, during the inauguration of IBM India Client Experience Centre in Mumbai.
- Purpose: Align with National Quantum Mission, develop talent through workshops and skills programs.
- Centre Focus: AI (via watsonx), data, automation, cybersecurity, hybrid cloud, and consulting solutions.