International Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
India hosted the 89th General Meeting (GM) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) from 15–19 September 2025 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a nonprofit organization established in 1906, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It prepares and publishes international standards for electrical, electronic, and related technologies. Its mission is to promote global cooperation in electrotechnical standardization. This is the fourth time India is hosting the General Meeting (GM) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), after 1960, 1997, and 2013.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Labour and Employment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Government of India and International Labour Organisation (ILO). The MoU is for collaboration to develop the International Reference Classification of Occupations. This classification will improve comparability of data and promote mutual recognition of skills. It aims to address significant skill shortages faced by many countries due to demographic deficits and digitalisation. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN). The headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969 for its contribution.

Notes:
An Indian migrant became the first person deported from the UK under the new One-In, One-Out migration deal with France. The One-In, One-Out Scheme is a migration agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) and France. The deal aims to deter dangerous crossings of the English Channel in small boats by migrants without visas or permits. Many migrants pay gangs in northern France to make these risky journeys, which have led to deaths. Under the agreement, France takes back asylum seekers who crossed illegally without family connections in the UK. For each migrant returned to France, the UK grants asylum to one eligible migrant from France with proven family ties. The scheme targets safe and legal migration while discouraging illegal attempts.

Notes:
Recently, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling it a neo-colonial tool. International Criminal Court (ICC) was created by the Rome Statute in 1998, which entered into force on 1 July 2002. It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal in the world. The Court has 125 member countries, but China, India, Israel, Russia, and the United States are not parties. ICC is funded by State Parties’ contributions and voluntary donations from governments, organizations, and entities.

Notes:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched the second edition of the Brazil–India Cross-Incubation Programme in Agritech (Maitri 2.0) in New Delhi. The programme aims to foster innovation-driven growth and strengthen collaboration between Indian and Brazilian agritech ecosystems. It builds on the 77-year-long agricultural partnership between India and Brazil and aligns with cooperation under BRICS and the G20. ICAR has grown from 74 patents in 1996 to 1,800+ annually, with 5,000 licensing agreements supporting innovations. Maitri 2.0 is a two-way learning platform for co-creation, digital technologies, value-chain development, and sustainable farming.

Notes:
On October 8, 2025, Russia’s lower house of parliament approved withdrawing from the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) with the United States. The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) is a pact between the United States and Russia signed in 2000. It came into force in 2011 to reduce weapons-grade plutonium from dismantled Cold War nuclear warheads. Both countries had large plutonium stockpiles that were expensive to store and posed a nuclear proliferation risk. The PMDA required each country to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium. The plan involved converting it into Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel or using it in fast-neutron reactors for electricity.

Notes:
In October 2025, China inaugurated the world’s first solar thermal power station in the Gobi Desert, Gansu Province. The plant is built by China Three Gorges Corporation and uses two 200-meter-high towers feeding a single turbine system. 27,000 mirrors concentrate sunlight, storing heat up to 570°C for electricity generation after sunset or cloudy weather. The dual-tower setup is 25% more efficient than single-tower designs and reduces mirror requirements, saving costs. It complements solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind farms, addressing intermittency in solar/wind energy.

Notes:
India and the United Kingdom recently launched the India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC) at India Mobile Congress 2025. It is a strategic partnership to promote digital inclusion and build secure, innovative, and resilient communications. The initiative works under the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). It links university research, lab testing, and market trials for next-generation technologies. Both nations will jointly invest £24 million (₹250 crore) to support research, joint testbeds, and global telecom standards.

Notes:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a 10 million US dollars contribution to strengthen community resilience against natural disasters across Asia and the Pacific. The initiative was launched through the UAE Aid Agency during the 2025 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. It will support Emirates Nature–World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) under the Community Resilience to Natural Disasters Programme, developed with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The programme focuses on restoring mangroves and coral reefs, promoting eco-livelihoods, and strengthening disaster preparedness in Philippines, Indonesia, Fiji, and Solomon Islands.

Notes:
Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, won Bolivia’s presidential election. He defeated conservative rival Jorge Tuto Quiroga amid the country’s worst economic crisis. Paz secured 54.5% of the vote, while Quiroga got 45.5%, according to Bolivia’s Electoral Tribunal. His victory ends nearly two decades of leftist rule by Movement to Socialism (MAS). Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country in western-central South America. The constitutional capital is Sucre, while the seat of government and executive capital is La Paz.