Daily Current Affairs Quiz14 & 15 September, 2025 National Affairs 1. 2nd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads Source: PIB Context: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the 2nd National Conference of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Heads of States and Union Territories in New Delhi on September 16–17, 2025. Key Highlights: 2. PM Modi Inaugurates India’s First Bamboo-Based Ethanol Plant in Assam Source: TH Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country’s first bamboo-based bioethanol plant in Golaghat, Assam, and laid the foundation stone for a ₹7,230-crore polypropylene plant at the Numaligarh Refinery. The initiative is part of India’s broader push for energy self-sufficiency, clean energy, and rural development. What is a Bamboo-Based Bioethanol Plant? A bamboo-based bioethanol plant is an industrial facility that converts bamboo into ethanol, a type of biofuel that can be blended with petrol or used as a renewable energy source. Process: Applications of Ethanol Produced: 3. Purple Fest 2025 Source: PIB Context: The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), in collaboration with Amity University, Noida, organized Purple Fest 2025, a national-level festival focused on the empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities (Divyangjan). Key Highlights: Banking/Finance 1. India’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Context: An analysis of RBI data by The Hindu shows that in 2024-25, nearly 56% of India’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) was routed through low-tax jurisdictions like Singapore, Mauritius, UAE, the Netherlands, UK, and Switzerland. This raises questions on taxation, regulatory arbitrage, and strategic corporate positioning. Key Findings from RBI Data: India’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) India’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) refers to investments made by Indian companies, firms, or residents in foreign countries. Unlike inward FDI, where foreign investors invest in India, OFDI involves Indian entities investing abroad to acquire assets, set up subsidiaries, or participate in joint ventures. Forms of OFDI: Indian companies can invest abroad in several ways: Key Features: Objectives of OFDI: Regulatory Framework in India: 2. Insurance Amendment Bill Source: BS Context: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has indicated that the Insurance Amendment Bill, which proposes 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector, is likely to be introduced in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. Key Proposals of the Bill: Objectives: 3. UPI-Based Cash Withdrawals to Expand Through Business Correspondents Source: BS Context: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is planning to extend Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-based cardless cash withdrawals beyond ATMs and limited merchant outlets. This initiative aims to make cash access more convenient and accessible, particularly in underbanked and rural areas. Business Correspondent (BC) Key Highlights: 4. Sebi Pushes Capital Market Reforms to Enhance Depth and Investor Participation Source: TOI Context: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has implemented a series of structural reforms aimed at broadening market participation, improving transparency, and attracting quality securities into the Indian capital market. The reforms target both primary and secondary markets to make the investment ecosystem more appealing for domestic and institutional investors. Key Reforms: Agriculture 1. Corteva Agriscience Launches New Pesticides for Potato and Grapes Source: TH Context: Global agri-science company Corteva Agriscience has launched two new pesticides in India targeting Downy Mildew in grapes and Late Blight in potatoes, two of the most destructive crop diseases affecting farmers’ productivity and income. Key Highlights: Implications for Indian Agriculture Facts To Remember 1. Former Meghalaya CM D.D. Lapang passes away Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Donwa Dethwelson Lapang passed away at a hospital in Shillong. He was 93. 2. Fiji ant numbers plunged after humans came Researchers sequenced the DNA of more than 4,000 specimens preserved in museums, representing over 120 species, and found that 79% of Fiji’s endemic ant species are now in decline, with losses starting soon after humans arrived about 3,000 years ago. 3. Minakshi, Jaismine punch gold at Worlds Minakshi Hooda and Jaismine Lamboria, both aged 24, upset two Paris Olympics medallists and top seeds in their respective weight classes to emerge as champions in the World boxing championships in Liverpool. 4. Meghana clinches bronze medal in air rifle Meghana Sajjanar clinched bronze in women’s air rifle in the World Cup in Ningbo. 5. Delhi Govt to Launch ‘Seva Pakhwada’ from Sept 17 To mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, the Delhi government will roll out a series of welfare and development initiatives over a 15-day period, called ‘Seva Pakhwada’ (Fortnight of Service). 6. Retail Inflation Inches Up in August, Remains Below RBI Target Retail inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose marginally to 2.07% in August 2025, up from 1.61% in July, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO). The second-quarter average (July-August) stands at 1.84%, lower than the RBI’s earlier projection of 2.1%. Since February 2025, inflation has remained below the RBI’s 4% target.