Current Affairs 31/08/2025
1. Chandrayaan-5 is a joint mission between India and?
Answer : Japan
• Chandrayaan-5 is a joint lunar mission between India and Japan.
• It is also called LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission). The mission will target the Moon’s South Pole, which is believed to have deposits of water ice.
• ISRO (India) will build the lander, and JAXA (Japan) will provide the rover and use its new H3 rocket for launch.
• The rover will carry scientific instruments to study the lunar soil, ice, and environment—helping future human exploration of the Moon.
• The collaboration was formalized during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Tokyo in August 2025.
• This mission is considered a big step in international cooperation in space and will strengthen India-Japan space ties.
2. India is sending 700+ soldiers to which multinational drill?
Answer : Bright Star 2025
• What it is:
Bright Star is a biennial multinational tri-service military exercise (Army, Navy, Air Force) hosted by Egypt, with the United States as a key partner. It is one of the largest and oldest military drills in the Middle East, held since 1980.
• India’s Participation (2025):
• India is sending over 700 soldiers and officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Integrated Defence Staff.
• This is one of India’s largest overseas military deployments for an exercise.
• The event is scheduled from 28 August to 10 September 2025 in Egypt.
• Purpose:
• To strengthen joint operations capability among friendly nations.
• To improve interoperability in counter-terrorism, maritime security, and peacekeeping.
• To enhance defence diplomacy and India’s role in global security.
• Significance for India:
• Highlights India’s commitment to multinational cooperation.
• Showcases India’s military professionalism and global presence.
• Builds stronger ties with Egypt, the U.S., and other participating countries.
3. Under which act seafarer welfare provisions improved in 2025?
Answer : Merchant Shipping Act, 2025
• What it is:
The Merchant Shipping Act, 2025 is a new law passed by the Indian Parliament to modernize maritime regulations. It replaces the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, which had become outdated.
• Seafarer Welfare Improvements:
• Aligns India’s rules with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006, which sets global standards for the welfare of sailors.
• Strengthens provisions for working conditions, rest hours, health, safety, and accommodation of seafarers.
• Provides better grievance redressal mechanisms for sailors facing workplace issues.
• Improves training and certification standards to make Indian seafarers globally competitive.
• Ensures insurance and compensation benefits for seafarers and their families.
• Why it matters:
• Enhances social security and dignity for Indian sailors.
• Increases employment opportunities for Indian seafarers in global shipping.
4. Who visited China after 7 years to attend SCO Summit?
Answer : PM Narendra Modi
• Who visited: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• When: 30 August 2025 — He reached Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
• Gap: This was his first visit to China in 7 years (last time was in 2018, Qingdao SCO Summit).
• Reception:
He was welcomed with a red carpet, slogans, and a sitar performance playing “Vande Mataram,” showcasing the warm diplomatic gesture.
• Purpose of Visit:
- To attend the SCO Summit (31 August – 1 September 2025).
- To hold bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other global leaders.
- To present India’s stand on terrorism, regional security, and economic cooperation.
• Importance:
- Marks a reset in India–China relations after years of tension.
- Strengthens India’s role in multilateral diplomacy through the SCO platform.
5. Which prominent Ukrainian politician was assassinated in Lviv on 30 August 2025?
Answer : Andriy Parubiy
• On 30 August 2025, Andriy Parubiy, a prominent Ukrainian politician and former Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, was assassinated in Lviv.
• Parubiy was a well-known nationalist leader and one of the key political figures in Ukraine since the Euromaidan movement of 2014.
• He had also served as the Chairman (Speaker) of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine’s parliament) from 2016 to 2019.
• Reports say he was shot dead in Lviv, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killing, calling it a “terrible murder”.
• Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian law enforcement and intelligence services have launched a major investigation and manhunt to find those responsible.
• The assassination has drawn domestic and international concern, as Parubiy was considered a symbolic figure of Ukrainian resistance and politics.